•MEMOIR  "'^^  "%.- 

Commodore  David  Porter; 


UNITED  STATES  IS  AYY. 


ADMIRAL   DAVID   D.   PORTEE 


PORTRAIT  AND  HELIOTYPES. 


U.  S.  S.  PALOS 


ALBANY,  N.  Y. : 
J.   MUNSELL,   PUBLISHER 

1875. 


n  n 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress  in  the  year  1875, 

By  DAVID  D.  PORTER, 

In  the  ottice  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washinirton. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 


Early  history  of  Commodore  Porter's  life  —  David  and  Samuel  Porter  of 
the  Revolution  Captains  by  Commissions  from  Gen.  Washington  —  Alex- 
ander, father  of  David  and  Samuel  Porter—  David  Porter  Sr.,  in  Command 
of  the  Privateer  Delight  —  Active  Career  against  the  British  —  Capture 
and  Imprisonment  of  David  and  Samuel  Porter  — Death  of  Samuel  and 
Escape  of  David  Porter  —  David  Porter  appointed  by  Gen.  Washington  a 
Sailing  Master  in  the  Navy,  and  placed  in  Charge  of  Federal  Hill,  Balti- 
more, Md.— Children  of  David  Porter  Sr.— Birth  of  David  Porter  Jr., 
and  his  early  Connection  with,  and  Fondness  for  Sea  Life  — Sails 
with  his  Father  in  the  Brig  Eliza  — Boarded  by  an  English  Press 
Gang,  which  is  Repulsed,  with  several  of  the  English  Killed  — Im- 
pressed in  the  English  Navy,  and  Escape  — Second  Impressment,  and 
Escape  —  Appointment  in  the  U.  S.  Navy  as  a  Midshipman, 7 

CHAPTER  II. 

Disgraceful  Treaty  of  Peace  with  Algiers  —  Reference  to  it  — French 
Provocations  and  failure  to  obtain  Redress  —  Appointment  of  Secretary 

.  of  the  Navy  — The  President  empowered  to  Retaliate  upon  France  by 
reprisals  — Organization  of  the  Navy  — War  with  the  French  — First 
actual  Naval  Establishment  —  Desire  of  young  Men  to  enter  the  Navy  — 
The  War  popular  with  Naval  Officers  — Mid.  David  Porter  ordered  to 
the  Constellation,  exemplary  Conduct  and  Attention  to  Duty  — Diffi- 
culties young  Officers  had  to  contend  with  — Difficulty  with  a  Lieut., 
whom  he  Strikes  — The  Lieut,  finally  dismissed  for  Drunkenness  and 
becomes  a  common  Sailor  in  Porter's  Boat  —  Fight  of  the  Constellation 
and  L'Insurgente  —  Capture  of  the  French  Frigate  — She  is  taken  into 
St.  Kits  by  Lieut.  Rodgers,  Mid.  Porter  and  a  Boat's  Crew  of  twelve 
Men  —  Porter's  Disgust  with  the  Naval  Service  —  Remarks  on  the  French 
War— John  Adams  the  Father  of  the  Navy  —The  Surprise  of  the  British 
at  the  appearance  of  a  large  American  Force  in  the  West  Indies  —  The 
Improvements  in  Naval  Discipline  —  Porter  promoted  to  Lieut.  Oct., 
8th,  1799  —  Melancholy  affair  at  Baltimore,  Md., 14 


^730r)0 


iv  Contents. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Lieut.  Porter  ordered  to  Schooner  Experiment  1799  —  Battle  of  Ex- 
periment with  Picaroons  in  the  Bight  of  Leogane  —  Porter  assumes 
command — Stewart  ordered  as  Captain  of  tlie  Experiment — Porter 
remains  as  1st  Lieutenant  —  Fight  of  the  Experiment  with  the  Deux 
Amis  —  Porter  with  four  men  left  in  Charge,  gets  her  into  St.  Kits, 
with  all  the  Prisoners — Fight  of  the  Experiment  with  the  Diana,  and 
Capture  of  the  Latter  —  Fight  with  an  English  Privateer  by  mistake  — 
Porter  detached  from  the  Experiment  and  ordered  as  2d  Lieut,  of  the 
Constitution,  given  the  Command  of  Schooner  Amphitrite  —  Capture  of 
a  Privateer  and  a  Barge  —  Reflections  on  the  French  War —  After  the 
War —  Congress  directs  most  of  the  Ships  to  be  sold,  and  Officers  to  be 
discharged  —  Porter  one  of  those  retained  —  The  ill  Effects  of  placing 
a  Civilian  at  the  Head  of  the  Navy  —  Jeff'erson  a  good  Politician,  but 
no  Sailor  —  Reflections  on  the  System  he  adopted  for  the  Navy,  and 
the  ill  Effects  upon  the  Service,   29 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Vessels  retained  at  the  Close  of  the  French  War  —  Popularity  and  Effi- 
ciency of  the  Navy  —  Humiliating  Positi(ms  Naval  Officers  were  placed 
in  —  Hostile  Manifestations  on  the  Part  of  the  Tripolitans  —  War  with 
Tripoli  —  Porter  ordered  as  1st  Lieut,  of  the  Enterprise — Humiliating 
instructions  to  Commodore  Dale  —  Fight  of  the  Enterprise,  and  Cap- 
ture of  the  Tripolitan  Corsair  Tripoli,  14  Guns  —  The  Tripoli  allowed 
to  depart  after  dismantling  her  —  Hesitating  Policy  of  the  President  in 
regard  to  retaining  Prizes  —  Commodore  Dale  ordered  to  return  Home  ac- 
companied by  the  Enterprise  —  Porter  ordered  as  1st  Lieut,  of  the  New 
York — Ship  on  fire — Porter  leads  an  Attack  on  some  Tripolitan  Vessels — 
Burns  them  —  He  is  twice  wounded  —  the  Inefficiency  of  our  Vessels 
for  the  Work  in  Hand  —  Commodore  Morris  detached  and  summarily 
punished  —  The  ill  Treatment  of  Naval  Officers,  and  the  Want  of  Sym- 
pathy between  them  and  a  Civilian  Head  —  Political  Influence  —  Disas- 
ters to  the  Navy,   43 

CHAPTER  V. 

1803  the  Philadelphia,  Captain  Bainbridge,  fitted  out  for  Tripoli  —  Porter 
ordered  as  1st  Lieut,  of  the  Ship  —  Loss  of  the  Philadelphia  by  running 
on  a  Rock  off  Tripoli  and  her  Capture  by  the  Tripolitans  —  Imprison- 
ment of  the  Officers  and  Crew  —  Hardships  during  the  Imprisonment  — 
High  Standard  of  Chivalry  in  the  Navy  in  those  Days — The  Tripolitans 
save  the  Philadelphia  — Commodore  Preble  ordered  to  command  the 
Squadron  —  By  the  written  Advice  of  Bainbridge,  orders  the  Philadel- 
phia to  be  destroyed  by  Decatur  —  The  Vessel  completely  destroyed  — 
Amusements  of  the  American  Prisoners  —  Porter  summarily  arrested 
and  brought  before  the  Bashaw  —  His  return  unharmed  to  his  Ship- 
mates —  Better  Treatment  afterwards — Frequent  Attempts  of  the  Ameri- 
cans to  escape — Peace  declared  and  the  Release  of  the  American 
Prisoners  —  Commodore  Rodgers  ordered  to  command  the  Squadron   - 


Contents.  v 

Porter  ordered  to  command  tlie  Enterprise  —  Exciting  affair  at  Malta  — 
Figlit  of  the  Enterprise  with  Spanish  Gun  Boats —  Porter  promoted  to 
Commander  22d  of  April,  1806  —  Mean  Policy  of  the  Government  to- 
wards the  Navy  — Porter  falls  in  love  and  threatens  to  throw  his  future 
Brother-in-law  out  of  a  Window  —  He  gets  married  10th  March,  1808,  55 

CHAPTER  VI. 

A  Reference  to  the  History  of  Louisiana  —  The  Gun-boat  System  —  Foreign 
Vessels  of  War  violating  our  Neutrality  Law^s  —  Porter  ordered  in  1808 
to  command  the  New  Orleans  Station  —  Difficulties  he  meets  with  on  tak- 
ing Command  —  The  excitable  Condition  of  the  People  of  New  Orleans  — 
Aaron  Burr's  Expedition  —  The  celebrated  Embargo  declared  by  the  U. 
S.  —  Illegal  acts  committed  by  Foreign  Privateers  —  Capture  of  three 
French  Privateers  by  Commander  Porter  —  Their  Condemnation,  and  ex- 
citing times  in  Court  —  The  Captors  receive  $25,000  Prize  Money  —  Por- 
ter becomes  dissatisfied  witli  his  Command  —  Promised  the  Command  of 
the  Essex,  after  tendering  his  Resignation  in  the  Navy  in  1810  —  Prospect 
of  War  with  Great  Britain  induces  him  to  remain  in  the  Navy  —  He 
carries  out  all  the  Restrictive  Acts,  and  breaks  up  Privateering  on  the 
Southern  Coast  —  Death  of  Commander  Porter's  Father  and  the  Adop- 
tion of  David  Glascoe  Parragut  —  The  Commander  is  presented  with  a 
Son,  whom  he  hands  around  on  a  Plate  —  Porter's  Disgust  at  tlie  Inaction 
of  our  Government  in  Relation  to  British  Aggressions  —  Anxious  for 
War  —  Reference  to  the  British  Aggressions  —  Criticisms  on  the  Action 
of  the  U.  S.  Government  —  A  Letter  of  Com.  Porter's  showing  the  un- 
wise Conduct  of  the  Gov.,  in  not  introducing  the  Naval  Element  into 
the  Civil  Branch  of  the  Serivce  —  The  Weak  Condition  of  the  Navy  — 
Porter  ordered  to  Command  the  Essex,  August,  1811  — His  Correspond- 
ence with  Sam.  Hambleton,  Esq.,  in  Relation  to  Naval  Matters  —  Pro- 
moted to  Captain  2d  July,  1812  —  When  War  was  declared,  gets  his  Ship 
ready  for  Sea,  and  sails  on  a  Cruise  —  Falls  in  with  a  Convoy  and  cuts 
out  a  Transport  —  Captures  the  British  Ship  of  war  Alert,  the  first  Vessel 
captured  —  Correspondence  with  Admiral  Duckworth  —  Ordered  to 
form  Part  of  Baiubridge's  Squadron  —  Spicy  Letter  to  Sam.  Hambleton  — 
List  of  Vessels  captured  —  Sails  from  the  Delaware,  Oct.  28th,  1812,    72 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Heavy  Gale  — Porter's  System  with  Regard  to  his  Crew  —  Arrival  at  Porto 
Praya  —  Hospitable  Reception  —  Sails  in  pursuit  of  Bainbridge— Cap- 
tures British  Brig  of  War  Nocton  —  Goes  off  Rio  Janeiro  —  Captures 
British  Schooner  Elizabeth  —  Gives  chase  to  a  Convoy,  but  owing  to 
bad  Weather  puts  into  St.  Catharines  —  Hearing  of  the  Capture  of  the 
Hornet,  sails  for  the  Pacific  — Heavy  Weather  going  around  Cape  Horn — 
Arrival  at  Valparaiso, 102 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Pleasant  Reception  at  Valparaiso  —  Fits  his  Ship  for  Sea  with  expedi- 
tion.   The  Chilian  Government  Renounces  their  Allegiance  to  the  Span- 


vi  Contents. 

ish  Crown  —  The  Arrival  of  the  Essex  received  with  great  Joy  at  St. 
Jago  —  Preparations  for  Battle  and  a  Disappointment  in  a  Ball  —  Cap- 
tain Porter  receives  Information  of  a  Number  of  English  Whale  Ships, 
and  determines  to  Depart  —  Sails  for  Valparaiso  —  Meets  the  American 
Whale  Ship  Charles  —  Hears  of  Depredations  upon  American  Commerce 
by  Peruvians— Falls  in  with  the  Peruvian  Ship  of  War  Nereyda  — 
Captures  her,  throws  her  Guns  Overboard,  and  sends  her  into  Port  dis- 
mantled — Writes  the  Viceroy  of  Peru  a  Diplomatic  Letter  —  Kecaptures 
the  American  Ship  Barclay  —  Sails  for  the  Gallapagos  Islands  —  Arrival 
there  — A  funny  Letter  found  in  the  Post  Office— History  of  Pat 
Watkins  —  Three  enemy  Ships  in  Sight  —  Great  Excitement  on  Board  — 
Capture  of  three  British  Whalers —  Addition  of  a  Sloop  of  War  to  the 
American  Navy,  by  Converting  one  of  the  Prizes  —  Half  a  Million 
Dollars  Worth  of  British  Property  captured, 119 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Cruising  among  the  Gallapagos  —  Large  Turtle — Description  of  the 
Islands  —  A  Chase  of  26  Hours,  and  a  fine  Prize  the  Result  —  the  Letter 
of  Marque  Atlantic  —  Another  Sail  heaves  in  Sight,  Chase  and  Capture — 
Letter  of  Marque  Greenwich,  a  renegade  American  Captain  in  Charge — 
The  Essex  supplied  from  the  Prizes  —  List  of  Captures  up  to  Date  — 
Importance  of  the  Whale  Fisheries  to  England — Account  of  Coin et's 
Voyage  —  Porter  sails  for  Tumbez,  and  arrival  there  —  Arrival  of 
Lieut.  Downes  with  three  more  Prizes  —  The  Greenwich  turned  into 
a  Ship  of  War,  and  Christened  Essex  Jr. —  British  Sailors  Shipping 
under  the  American  Flag,  to  Fight  for  "  Sailors'  Rights." 130 


CHAPTER  X. 

Sailing  of  the  Fleet  from  Tumbez  —  Lieut.  Downes  sent  to  Valparaiso 
with  some  of  the  Prizes  —  The  Essex  returns  to  the  Gallapagos  Islands  — 
Three  Vessels  in  Sight,  and  Chase  given  —  Three  Enemy's  Ships  cap- 
tured after  a  smart  Fight  —  One  of  the  Prizes  equipped  with  22  Guns  — 
Sends  the  Prize  Georgiana  to  the  U.  S.  filled  with  Oil  —  Another  Sail  in 
Sight  —  Exciting  Chase  and  Escape  of  the  Stranger  ~  A  strange  Sail 
discovered  on  the  14th  —  Captured  after  a  Chase  it  turns  out  to  be  the 
Vessel  chased  Previously  —  The  Essex  over-run  with  Rats  —  Deter- 
mination to  go  to  the  Washington  Group  to  heave  out  —  Insubordina- 
tion on  board  the  Essex —  Summary  Method  of  Dealing  with  the  Mat- 
ter —  Essex  Jr.  arrives  with  News  from  America  —  The  British  Whale 
Fishery  broken  up  —  Infamy  of  the  British  Privateer  System, 154 


CHAPTER  XL 

Fleet  sails  for  the  Washington  Islands  —  Address  to  the  Crew  of  the 
Essex  —  Their  Satisfaction  thereat  —  Land  Discovered,  Hood's  Island 
and  Rooahooga  —  Communication  with  the  Natives — Trade  in  Iron 
Hoops  and  Fishhooks  —  The  Sailors  tell  wonderful  Stories  on  their 
Return  to  the  Ship,  about  Houris  —  Arrival  of  the  Essex  at  Nooka- 


Contents.  ^ii 

heevah  — Finds  White  Men  there  — No okaheevans  and  Happahs  at 
War—  Porter  sides  with  the  Taeehs  —  The  handsome  Piteenee  —  Mar- 
quesas Women  —  Hoops,  Fishhooks  and  lovely  Natives  —  Gatta- 
newa—  Repairs  of  the  Essex  — Mouina  the  Nookaheevan  Chief— 
Description  of  Nookaheevah  and  its  Tribes, 167 


CHAPTER  Xn. 

Captain  Porter  makes  War  on  the  Happahs,  and  subdues  them  —  Shock- 
ing Treatment  of  the  wounded  Happahs  by  the  Nookaheevah  Cannibals— 
Happahs  beg  for  Peace  —  The  Typees  become  Troublesome,  and  send 
the  Americans  defiant  Messages  —  Capt.  Porter  builds  Fort  Madison  — 
The  British  Prisoners  plan  an  Insurrection  —  Their  Punishment  — A 
Sentry  shot  —  Threatened  Disaffection  among  some  of  the  Crew  of  the 
Essex  — Prompt  Measures  —  Taking  Possession  of  Nookaheevah  in  the 
Name  of  the  U.  S.—  The  Advantage  of  Nookaheevah  commercially  — 
Arrival  of  an  American  Trading  Ship, 179 


CHAPTER  Xni. 

The  Typees  become  so  insulting,  that  War  is  necessary  —  Attack  by 
the  Americans  on  the  Typees  —  The  Americans  have  to  retreat  — 
The  Typees  become  still  more  insulting  and  the  Allies  of  the  Americans 
become  doubtful  Friends  —  Second  Expedition  against  the  Typees —  Sub- 
jugation of  them  by  the  Americans  and  the  Destruction  of  their  Valley  — 
The  Typees  sue  for  Peace  —  Harmony  restored  throughout  the 
Island, 196 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Refitting  of  the  Essex  and  Prizes  —  Love  between  the  Sailors  and  Island 
Women  —  The  Sailors  unhappy  and  the  Women  threaten  to  commit  Sui- 
cide—The Attractions  ot  Nookaheevah  —  The  Crew  of  the  Essex  grow 
mutinous  —  Summary  Punishment  of  the  Ringleader  —  Crew  go  cheer- 
fully to  Duty  —  Character  of  the  female  Nookaheevans  —  Some  account 
of  the  Natives  —  Their  guileless  Character  before  associating  with  the 
Whites,  214 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Departure  of  the  Essex  and  Essex  Jr.,  for  Valparaiso,  and  their  Arrival 
there  —  Two  British  ships  of  War  in  sight  off  the  Harbor  —  The  Eng- 
lish Frigate  Phoebe  enters  the  Harbor  —  Comes  near  fouling  the  Essex  — 
Porter  gives  the  Order  to  Board  —  The  British  Captain  protests  that  it 
was  an  Accident  —  The  Battle  between  the  Essex  and  the  two  British 
Ships  —  Capture  of  the  Essex,  and  the  Correspondence  on  the  Subject  — 
Captain  Porter —  Officers  and  Crew  —  Allowed  to  use  the  Essex  Jr.,  as 
a  Cartel,  and  proceed  to  the  U.  S.  — Arrival  of  the  Essex  Jr.,  off  Sandy 
Hook  —  Detained  by  a  British  Ship  of  War  —  Captain  Porter  escapes  in 
a  Whale  Boat,  during  a  Fog —  The  Essex  Jr.,  allowed  to  proceed  —  Ad- 


viii  Contents. 

ventures  of  Lieut.  Gamble,  after  he  was  left,  at  Nookaheevah  by    the 
Essex, 220 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Arrival  of  Captain  Porter  at  Babylon,  Long  Island  —  His  Reception  after 
his  Escape  —  The  Government  approves  of  his  Escaping  —  The  English 
advance  on  Washington  —  Captain  Porter  ordered  to  defend  the  City, 
calls  upon  the  Crew  of  the  Essex  to  go  with  him  —  The  Enemy's  Fleet  off 
Alexandria  —  Captains  Porter  and  Creightonreconnoiteroa  horse  back, 
and  try  to  carry  off  a  Midshipman  —  Capt.  Porter  fortifies  at  the  White 
House  on  the  Potomac  —  Generals  Young  and  Hiingerford  cooperate  — 
Open  fire  on  an  18  gun  Brig  —  Battle  between  the  English  Ships  and 
Captain  Porter's  Batteries  —  The  Enghsh  much  cut  up  — Captain 
Porter's  new  Ship  burnt  by  the  British  —  Peace  declared — Board  of 
Naval  Commissioners  established  —  Porter  one  of  the  Board' — Its 
Powers  discussed  —  Disposition  of  Congress  to  lay  up  the  Ships  of  the 
Navy  —  Prevented  by  Rodgers  —  Decatur  and  Porter — The  Influence 
of  the  Naval  Commissioners  —  Porter's  Journal  —  Criticisms  on  it  by 
the  English  Reviewers  —  Porter's  Answers  —  Buys  a  Farm  and  builds  a 
House  —  Plan  of  Increase  of  the  Navy  —  List  of  Vessels  at  the  End  of  the 
War — Captain  Porter  proposes  a  Survey  of  the  N.  W.  Coast,  etc. — 
Policy  of  the  Board  of  Naval  Commissioners  —  Navy  Yards  —  Though  a 
good  Sailor,  Captain  Porter  not  a  judicious  Farmer  —  Starts  a  Horse 
Boat,  and  has  too  many  Dead  Heads  —  Piracy  in  the  West  Indies  —  Por- 
ter ordered  to  put  it  down  —  Anecdotes, 253 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Capt.  Porter's  Instructions  —  Fits  out  a  Flying  Squadron  —  Difficulties 
with  the  Governor  of  Porto  Rico — Spanish  Fort  Fires  into  one  of 
the  Vessels  and  kills  the  Commander  —  Correspondence  —  Operations 
against  the  Pirates  —  Attacked  by  the  Press  at  Home  for  not  putting 
down  Piracy  —  A  Number  of  gallant  Affairs  takes  place  with  the 
Pirates  —  Diablito,  the  Last  of  the  Pirates,  killed  —  The  Yellow  Fever 
breaks  out  at  Key  West  —  Com.  Porter  taken  down  with  Fever —  Re- 
turns to  the  U.  S. —  Fits  his  Fleet  out  and  Returns  to  the  West  Indies  — 
Difficulties  with  Spanish  Authorities  at  Foxardo  —  Recalled  by  the 
Government  —  Inconsistency  of  the  Administration  —  The  Commodore 
is  informed  that  he  will  be  subjected  to  a  Court  of  Inquiry  —  Anec- 
dotes,   278 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Court  of  Inquiry  —  Court  Martial,  and  Defense,  with  Remarks  by  the 
Author  —  The  Commodore  sentenced  to  six  Months  Supension,  "  For 
Upholding  the  Honor  of  the  Flag  " —  Reflections  on  the  Result  and  the 
favorable  Decision  of  John  Quincy  Adams,  in  Jackson's  Case,  under 
like  Circumstances, .    308 


Contents.  ix 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

War  between  Spanish  America  and  Spain  — Porter  invited  by  the  Mexi- 
cans to  enter  their  Navy  —  Sails  from  New  York  in  the  Mexican  Brig 
Guerrero  —  Arrives  at  Vera  Cruz  —  Is  received  with  great  Enthusi- 
asm—  Transit  to  Mexico  —  Has  an  Interview  with  the  Mexican  Admin- 
istration, and  resigns  liis  Commission  in  the  U.  S.  Navy  —  Receives  the 
Appointment  of  General  of  Marine  in  the  Mexican  Navy  —  Fits  out  his 
Squadron  at  Vera  Cruz  —  Finds  it  a  sorry  Affair  —  Sails  for  the  West 
Indies  —  Offers  the  Spanish  Squadron  Battle  which  they  DecUne  —  Fits 
out  Expeditions  against  the  Spanish  Commerce  from  Key  West  —  Letter 
to  Hambleton  expressing  Regret  at  leaving  the  Navy  —  Commits  great 
Havoc  on  Spanish  Commerce  —  Returns  to  Vera  Cruz  —  Fits  out  the 
Guerrero,  and  sends  her  to  the  Coast  of  Cuba  —  Her  Gallant  Action 
and  Capture  by  the  Spanish  Frigate  Lealtad — The  Mexican  Govern- 
ment disatisfied  and  begins  to  grow  Treacherous  —  Difficulty  with  Santa 
Anna  —  Receives  False  Orders  to  go  to  Mexico  —  Is  attacked  by  four 
Assassins  on  the  Road  —  Kills  two  of  them ,  and  makes  some  Prize 
Money  —  Returns  to  Vera  Cruz  —  Attempt  to  Assassinate  him  in  his 
own  House —  He  kills  the  Assassin  —  Loses  his  son  Thomas  by  Fever  — 
Becomes  disgusted  with  the  People  and  the  Country — His  Views  in 
regard  to  a  Route  across  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec  —  Jackson  invites 
him  to  return  to  the  U.  S. —  Offers  to  appoint  him  to  his  Place  in  the 
Navy  —  Resigns  from  the  Mexican  Navy  and  returns  to  the  U.  S.,.  .846 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Connnodore  Porter's  Fortunes  —  Adversity  throws  him  upon  the  Mag- 
nanimity of  the  fortunate  ones  —  Offered  several  Appointments  by 
Gen.  Jackson,  which  he  declines  —  Desires  to  be  sent  back  to  Mexico 
as  American  Minister  —  Appointed  Consul  General  to  Algiers,  and  soon 
after  Charge  d'  Affaires  to  Constantinople  —  Characteristic  Letter  on 
French  Affairs  in  Algiers, 391 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Com.  Porter's  arrival  at  Constantinople — Friendly  Relations  with  the 
Sultan  —  Hospitality  towards  all  Americans  —  Buys  a  Residence  at  San 
Stephano  near  Constantinople — Declines  to  be  friendly  with  Elliott  — 
Tiie  Story  of  the  Decatur  Duel — Returns  to  the  U.  S. — Is  appointed 
Minister  Resident  to  the  Sublime  Porte  —  His  Sickness  and  Death  —  His 
Remains  sent  to  the  U.  S.,  in  a  Public  Vessel  —  The  Honors  paid  on  his 
Interment  in  the  U.  S.  —  His  Monument  and  Inscription  at  Woodland, 
near  Philadelphia,   879 


INDEX  TO  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Page. 

Commodore  Porter, Frontispiece. 

The  Constellation  capturing  the  French  frigate  Vlnsurgente, 20 

The  Experiment  driving  off  Picaroons, 28 

The  Experiment  capturing  the  Deux  Amis, 32 

Capture  of  the  Diane  by  the  Experiment, 34 

The  Experiment  capturing  the  British  privateer,  Louisa  Bridger, ....     36 

The  Amphitrite  recapturing  a  prize  to  pirates, 38 

The  Enterprise  capturing  a  Tripolitan  corsair,. 46 

Lieut.  Porter's  attack  on  vessels  hauled  up  at  Tripoli, 52 

Loss  of  the  "  Philadelphia," 58 

The  Enterprise  driving  off  Spanish  gunboats, 68 

Capture  of  French  privateers  in  the  Mississippi, 78 

The  Essex  capturing  the  British  ship  Alert, 94 

The  Essex  capturing  the  British  brig  Nocton, 108 

The  Essex  and  her  prizes  sailing  out  of  the  bay  of  Tumbez, 154 

Tlie  Essex  and  her  prizes  making  the  Washington  Islands,  168 

The  Essex  and  her  prizes  at  Nookaheevah, 176 

The  British  frigate  Phoebe  fouling  the  Essex, , 122 

Burning  of  the  prize  Hector,  ....         228 

The  Essex  offering  battle  to  the  frigate  Phcebe, 230 

Battle  between  the  Essex  and  the  Phoebe  and  Cherub, 238 

Captain  Porter  escaping  in  a  boat  from  under  the  guns  of  the  British 

frigate  Saturn, 242 

Earthworks  thrown  up  by  Captain  Porter  at  White  House  on  the 

Potomac  to  prevent  the  passage  of  the  British  fleet, . .  256 

The  American  Squadron  at  Key  West,  1824, 282 

The  Mexican  Squadron  at  Key  West  1827, 356 

Fight  between  the  Mexican  brig  Guerrero  of  22  guns,  and  the  Spanish 

frigate  Lealiad  of  64  guns, 374 


ERKATA. 

Page    22,  2d  line,  for  "  Frenchman,"  read  Frenchman's. 

34,  30th  line,  for  "  never  afterwards  impaired,"  read  never  impaired. 

35,  5th  line,  for  "■  French  schooner,"  read  latter. 

35,  2d  line  from  bottom,  for  '•  Experiment,"  read  former. 
35,  last  paragraph,  for  ''Enterprise,"  read  Experiment. 
39,  7th  line,  for  "  Porter,"  read  him. 
47,  22d  line,  for  ''  his  enemy,"  read  the  Corsair. 
56,  5th  line,  for  "■  strict,"  read  implicit. 
68,  7th  line  from  bottom,  for  "  gunboat,"  read  gunboats. 
80,  10th  line  from  bottom,  for  "  Porter,"  read  him. 
107,  16th  line  from  bottom,  for  "owner,"  read  owners. 

112,  18th  line,  for  "convey,"  read  convoy. 

113,  4th  line,  for  "  ship,"  read  ships 

120,  21st  line,  for  "  which  was,"  read  then. 

144,  10th  line  from  bottom,  for  "  get  windward,"  read  get  to  windward. 

155,  27th  line,  for  the  "Essex,"  read  she. 

163,  10th  line  from  bottom,  "  for  Essex,"  read  frigate. 

164,  14th  line,  for  "  the  men,"  read  them. 

173,  10th  line  from  the  bottom,  for  "  these  men,"  read  them. 
180, 14th  line,  for  "all  over,"  read  on. 
197,  15th  line,  for  "  landing,"  read  beach. 

205,  7th  line  from  bottom,  omit  "  besides." 

206,  3d  line,  for  "the  determination  of  the  Typees,"  read  their  determination. 

207,  12th  line  from  bottom,  for  "here  aud  there,"  read  in  all  directions. 
226,  23d  line  from  the  bottom,  for  "  these  songs,"  read  the  songs. 

233,  2d  line  from  bottom,  for  "enemy,"  read,'"'  enemy's  ships. 

237,  for  page  "  337,"  read  237. 

239,  for  "  twelve  long  guns,"  read  six  long  guns. 

245,  8th  line  from  bottom  read  the  commander  of  a  ship  of  war, 

249,  4lh  line  from  bottom  read  demanded  to  know. 

295,  for  "Mclntoch,"  read  Mcintosh. 

368,  for  "Guatzacolcos,"  read  Guasacualcos. 

376,  for  "  csmall,"  read  small. 

411,  Ist  line,  for  "Florida,"  read  Floria. 


MEMOIR 


Commodore  David  Porter. 


INTKODUCTION. 

• 

i  HE  history  of  a  nation  is  the  history  of  its  dis- 
tinguished men ;  and  we  neglect  a  duty,  if  we  fail  to 
do  justice  to  the  memory  of  those,  who,  either  in 
peace  or  war,  have  done  honor  to  the  country. 

The  events  of  the  last  war,  with  England,  once 
held  a  prominent  place  in  the  public  mind ;  and  it  is 
one  of  the  objects  of  this  book  to  reawaken  those 
recollections,  for  the  nation  seems  to  have  forgotten 
the  events  of  1812,  and  the  men  who  snatched  her 
laurels  from  the  mistress  of  the  seas,  and  forced  an 
honorable  peace. 

The  United  States  Navy  had  on  its  rolls,  during  that 
war,  many  gallant  spirits  who  would  have  rivaled 
the  fame  of  Blake  and  Nelson,  had  the  opportunity 
been  offered  them.  Their  country  should  never  allow 
their  names  to  sink  into  oblivion. 

Although  our  navy  has  always  borne  a  very  promi- 
nent and  successful  part  in  all  the  wars  in  which  the 
United  States  has  been  engaged,  yet  it  has  never 
1 


2-\\  ^'  j.^ ;  MsMOJUr  OB^  .Commodore  David  Porter. 

received  full  justice  from  the  community.  It  is  true, 
that  while  the  memory  of  some  of  its  triumphs  was 
fresh  in  the  popular  mind,  the  service  has  been  the 
recipient  of  short  lived  applause,  but  such  momentary 
enthusiasm  soon  died  out  in  default  of  further  excite- 
ment to  keep  it  alive. 

The  proof  of  this  is,  that  in  time  of  peace  the  navy 
is  allowed  to  languish,  and  maintain  only  a  precarious 
existence  ;  and  not  a  single  monument  has  ever  been 
erected  by  the  government  to  commemorate  its  heroes 
or  their  victories. 

Even  that  illustrious  sailor  Paul  Jones,  who  first 
taught  the  English  to  respect  our  flag,  is  generally  re- 
ferred to  as  a  bold  adventurer,  a  designation  given  him 
by  our  foes,  and  which  we,  to  our  shame,  have  accepted. 

The  names  of  Truxton,  Hull,  Bainbridge,  Perry, 
McDonough,  Decatur,  Preble,  Lawrence,  Somers,  Bid- 
die,  and  others,  are  occasionally  remembered  as  men 
who  at  a  remote  period  performed  some  gallant 
service ;  but  nothing  has  been  done  to  preserve  the 
memory  of  those  distinguished  oflicers ;  and  it  is  only 
within  a  few  years,  that  anything  like  an  accurate 
record  of  their  achievements  was  given  to  the  world. 
This  is  inexcusable,  for  few  indeed  have  any  concep- 
tion of  the  hardships  and  sacrifices  of  those  who  went 
forth  to  battle  with  the  "  Mistress  of  the  seas,"  upon 
her  chosen  element. 

We  should  never  forget,  that  in  1812,  we  entered 
into  what  was  considered  a  hopeless  conflict  with  the 
greatest  navy  the  world  had  ever  seen,  and  that  but 
for  the  gallantry  of  our  seamen  we  should  have  been 
forced  to  agree  to  an  ignominious  peace. 


Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter.  3 

The  successes  of  our  navy,  to  quote  the  language 


of  Byron, 


taught  her  Esau  brethren  that  the  flag, 


The  floating  fence  of  Albion's  feebler  crag, 

May  bow  to  those  whose  red  right  hands  have  bought 

Rights  cheaply  earned  with  blood." 

Through  the  efforts  of  the  navy  we  gained  what 
we  went  into  the  war  to  obtain,  and  from  that  time 
to  this,  our  flag  has  been  respected,  as  that  of  one  of 
the  great  powers  of  the  world. 

The  history  of  that  memorable  struggle  has  been 
ably  written  by  our  distinguished  countryman.  Cooper : 
and  from  his  naval  experience  and  personal  knowledge 
of  the  principal  actors,  he  was  well  qualified  for  the 
task ;  but  in  a  general  description  of  the  war  it  was 
of  course  impossible  to  give  that  full  account  of  the 
public  and  private  life  of  his  heroes,  by  which  alone 
their  merits  can  properly  be  estimated. 

Since  the  war  with  England,  many  events  have 
occurred,  in  which  our  naval  officers  figured  conspic- 
uously, the  details  of  which  are  unknown  to  the 
public.  Most  of  those  who  were  distinguished  in  the 
war  of  1812,  have  since  occupied  important  positions 
at  home  and  abroad,  and  have  left  the  impress  of 
their  characters  indelibly  fixed  upon  the  naval  ser- 
vice ;  and  the  survivors  of  those  who  served  under 
their  command  still  delight  in  the  remembrance  of  their 
career  under  these  distinguished  pioneers  of  our  navy. 

Conspicuous  among  the  gallant  spirits  to  whom  I 
have  referred,  was  the  subject  of  this  memoir.  His 
career,  in  and  out  of  the  United  States  navy,  was 


4  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

marked  with  more  than  ordinary  distinction,  and  his 
history  is  unusually  interesting  from  the  halo  of 
romance  which  has  been  thrown  around  his  exploits. 

The  object  of  the  author  is  to  give  a  simple  narra- 
tive of  Commodore  Porter's  life,  which  he  feels  sure 
will  interest  all  who  take  a  pride  in  the  history  of 
our  navy. 

Most  of  the  biographies  of  our  naval  men,  have 
been  prepared  from  imperfect  materials,  often  the 
only  ones  accessible,  and  although  the  author  of  this 
memoir  is  fully  conscious  of  his  inability  to  do  justice 
to  the  subject,  in  a  literary  point  of  view,  he  hopes 
that  errors  of  authorship  will  not  be  too  severely 
criticized. 

In  his  desire  to  do  justice  to  the  memory  of  a 
gallant  officer,  the  author  may  perhaps  incur  the 
charge  of  partiality,  but  he  has  endeavored  to  give 
Commodore  Porter  simply  the  credit  which  he  re- 
ceived from  his  cotemporaries. 

The  fame  he  acquired  in  the  service  of  his  country 
is  his  only  monument ;  but  that  will  we  trust  endure 
longer  than  bronze  or  marble. 

Most  of  the  friends  and  cotemporaries  of  Commo- 
dore Porter  have  passed  away,  but  their  descendants 
will,  I  think,  find  the  story  of  his  life  worthy  their 
perusal. 

The  young  officers  of  the  navy  will  be  benefited  by 
a  familiarity  with  the  history  of  one  whose  example 
will  stimulate  them.  They  will  see  how  determina- 
tion will  overcome  all  obstacles,  how  ships  in  time  of 
war  can  be  maintained  by  living  upon  the  enemy, 
and  how  much  an  officer  can  accomplish  who  depends 


Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter.  6 

upon  his  own  resources,  and  does  not  wait  for  specific 
orders  before  he  dares  to  make  a  movement. 

Throughout  this  narrative,  it  will  be  seen  that 
Commodore  Porter  never  hesitated  to  vindicate  the 
honor  of  the  flag,  no  matter  what  might  be  the  con- 
sequences to  himself  personally,  and  it  was  owing  to 
his  undeviating  loyalty  to  the  stars  and  stripes  that 
he  was  eventually  driven  from  a  service  of  which  he 
was  so  distinguished  a  member,  and  obliged  to  spend 
the  remnant  of  his  life  far  from  his  friends  and 
country — yet  he  never  regretted  the  action  which 
led  to  his  resignation  from  the  service.  He  felt  that 
he  could  no  longer  associate  with  the  officers  as 
brothers,  who  had  recommended  his  suspension  for 
the  term  of  six  months,  "for  upholding  the  honor  of 
the  flag ! " 

Yes,  incredible  as  it  may  seem,  such  was  the  sub- 
stance of  the  sentence ;  and  although  no  disgrace  was 
implied,  yet  the  Commodore's  proud  spirit  would  not 
brook  even  the  intimation  of  a  censure  for  doing  what 
he  considered  an  imperative  duty. 

The  author  has  been,  for  several  years,  employed 
in  collecting  the  material  for  this  memoir,  in  the  hope 
that  some  one  more  accustomed  to  literary  labor 
might  be  induced  to  undertake  the  task.  The  work 
is  necessarily  incomplete,  for  many  of  the  Commodore's 
papers  have  been  lost  or  destroyed,  yet  sufficient 
remains  for  the  reader  to  form  a  pretty  accurate  idea 
of  his  character,  and  to  add  something  to  the  already 
published  history  of  our  country. 

The  author  has  been  led  out  of  his  way,  frequently, 
during  the  course  of  these  memoirs,  in  discussing  mat- 


6  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

ters  (relating  to  the  navy  generally)  which  may  be 
deemed  irrelevant  in  a  work  of  this  kind ;  but  those 
discussions  are  introduced  to  show  the  difficulties 
under  which  naval  officers  have  labored  since  the  ear- 
liest foundation  of  the  navy ;  and  the  credit  due  them 
for  their  successes,  under  such  adverse  circumstances. 
The  author  has  no  intention  or  desire  to  reflect  on  any 
one,  but  merely  to  point  out  the  defects  of  a  system, 
which  must  be  apparent  to  those  who  have  taken 
any  interest  in  the  matter — it  is  such  a  discussion  as 
any  officer  can  with  propriety  enter  into,  unless  it  is 
intended  that  the  men  who  frequently  are  placed  in 
positions  where*  the  honor  of  the  nation  is  in  their 
keeping,  and  who  are  the  country's  sole  dependence 
in  case  of  a  foreign  war,  shall  be  considered  a  set  of 
subservients,  unworthy  to  have  the  same  privilege 
that  belongs  to  every  American  citizen. 


MEMom  OF  Com.  Dayid  Porter 


CHAPTER  I. 


±E  treating  of  the  early  history  of  our  navy  and  of  those 
who  held  positions  therein,  it  is  often  difficult  to  obtain  full 
facts  or  the  dates  of  occurrences.  In  the  days  of  the  revo- 
lution records  were  imperfectly  kept,  and  when  made  have 
often  been  scattered  and  lost.  There  was  no  regular  navy 
department,  such  functions  having  been  performed  by 
boards  and  congressional  committees,  and  by  the  general 
commanding  the  army,  who  in  certain  cases  seems  to  have 
been  authorized  to  issue  commissions,  and  by  the  state 
governments,  some  of  which  fitted  out  armed  vessels  on 
their  own  authority  to  cruise  against  the  enemy. 

But  in  whatever  way  the  vessels  and  their  officers  were 
commissioned,  all  were  considered  as  the  continental  navy, 
and  many  gallant  affairs  took  place  under  these  promiscu- 
ous authorizations,  which  are  not  noticed  in  the  histories 
of  the  present  day. 

On  the  breaking  out  of  the  revolutionary  war  we  find  two 
brothers,  David  and  Samuel  Poetee,  commanding  vessels 
commissioned  to  capture  and  destroy  ships  carrying  stores 
to  the  British  army.  This  was  a  perilous  service  from  the 
great  number  of  British  cruisers  hovering  on  the  coast,  and 
the  patriots  had  often  to  fight  their  way  through  desperate 
odds  to  make  their  escape  from  a  watchful  and  powerful  foe. 

The  father  of  these  two  brothers  was  Alexander  Porter, 
a  native  of  Massachusetts,  where  he  was  born  in  the  year 
1727,  and  both  had  commanded  merchant  vessels  previous 
to  the  war.  It  is  very  probable  that  the  brothers  were 
commissioned  by  Washington,  to  whom  they  appear  to 


8  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

have  been  well  known.  It  is  related  that  when  David 
Porter's  little  daughter  was  presented  to  Washington,  on 
his  election  to  the  presidency,  with  the  remark :  "  This  is 
the  daughter  of  Captain  Porter  of  revolutionary  fame," 
the  president  laid  his  hand  on  her  head  with  the  remark, 
"  May  God  bless  his  child.'' 

In  1778,  we  find  David  Porter  in  command  of  the  pri- 
vateer sloop  Delight,  of  six  guns,  fitted  out  in  Maryland, 
and  pursuing  an  active  career  against  the  enemy;  and 
two  years  after  he  was  in  command  of  the  ship  Aurora,  of 
ten  guns,  belonging  to  the  state  of  Massachusetts,  in  which 
he  is  represented  as  having  performed  valuable  service  to 
the  united  colonies,  though  the  particulars  of  his  service 
have  unfortunately  been  lost. 

While  cruising  against  the  British,  Samuel  Porter  was 
badly  wounded  and  captured,  and  was  confined  in  the  Jer- 
sey prison  ship,  where  he  underwent  the  greatest  hardships. 
While  lingering  in  this  horrible  place  he  was  unexpectedly 
joined  by  his  brother  David,  who  had  also  been  captured 
by  a  superior  force.  We  can  imagine  the  joy  of  the  dying 
man  at  meeting  with  his  only  brother,  and  the  grief  of  the 
latter  on  seeing  the  lamentable  condition  to  which  his 
relative  was  reduced.  David  was  allowed  to  attend  his 
brother,  and  to  close  his  eyes  in  death,  which  finally  ter- 
minated his  sufferings.  He  was  so  overcome  at  the  melan- 
choly termination  of  his  brother's  career,  as  to  excite  the 
sympathy  of  the  officers  and  men,  whose  duty  it  was  to 
perform  the  last  offices  for  the  dead,  and  they  exerted 
themselves  to  procure  for  him  indulgences  not  usually 
granted  to  a  prisoner. 

Porter  was  of  a  jovial  disposition,  and  full  of  anecdotes, 
and  after  the  duties  of  the  day  were  over,  would  entertain 
both  officers  and  men  of  the  prison  ship  with  his  stories  of 
the  sea.  In  fact  his  conduct  was  so  satisfactory,  and  he 
made  himself  so  useful  and  entertaining  to  the  British, 
that  he  was  not  locked  up  at  sunset  with  the  other  prisoners. 
After  some  months  imprisonment.  Captain  Porter,  by  in- 
gratiating himself  with  some  of  the  crew,  persuaded  them 
to  assist  him  to  escape ;  so  one  night,  when  all  was  quiet, 
some  of  the  members  of  a  watering  party,  that  was  going 
on  shore  at  daylight,  headed  our  hero  up  in  a  water  cask. 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  9 

leaving  the  bung  out  so  that  he  could  breathe.  He  laid 
all  night  in  this  uncomfortable  place,  and  when  day  broke, 
was  rolled  along  the  deck  and  into  the  launch.  There  was 
great  danger  of  discovery,  but  the  jolly  tars  managed  by 
some  means  to  get  the  officer  of  the  launch  out  of  the  way, 
and  released  Porter,  who  divided  with  his  benefactors 
what  little  money  he  had,  and  went  on  his  way  rejoic- 
ing. He  at  once  reported  his  escape  at  headquarters,  and 
continued  to  serve  his  country  until  peace  was  declared ; 
making  many  valuable  captures,  and  profiting  no  doubt 
by  his  experience  as  a  captive  to  restrain  his  too  ardent 
temperament. 

Captain  Porter  resided  in  Boston  until  some  years  after 
the  revolution,  when  he  was  appointed  a  sailing  master  in 
the  navy,  by  General  Washington,  and  was  given  charge 
of  the  signal  station  on  Federal  hill,  Baltimore,  a  place 
for  which  his  nautical  experience  well  qualified  him ;  and 
where  for  several  years  he  enjoyed  the  society  of  his  young 
family.  He  had  four  daughters  and  two  sons:  David,  and 
John,  the  former  of  whom  is  the  subject  of  this  memoir. 
The  other  son,  John  Porter,  entered  the  navy  in  1806,  and 
died  in  Watertown,  Mass.,  in  1831;  having  attained  the 
rank  of  commander. 

David  Porter,  whose  history  will  be  narrated  in  the 
following  pages,  was  born  in  Boston,  Massachusetts,  on 
the  first  day  of  February  1780,  in  Charter  street,  in  that 
old  part  of  the  town  known  as  the  North  End  —  a 
quarter  which  has  been  the  birth  place  of  many  distin- 
guished characters.  The  house  in  which  Porter  was  born 
remained  in  existence  till  about  the  year  1847,  when  the 
writer  got  a  glimpse  of  it  just  as  the  workmen  were  about 
to  tear  it  down,  in  order  to  erect  a  more  pretentious  struc- 
ture. The  house  was  plain  and  suited  to  the  simple 
wants  of  people  of  the  past  century,  who  managed  to  do 
without  the  "  modern  improvements  "  which  are  now  so 
essential  to  our  existence. 

Young  David  was  brought  up  almost  entirely  by  his 
mother,  his  father  being  absent  much  of  the  time  at  sea. 
Mrs.  Porter  is  described  as  beloved  by  all  who  knew  her, 
and  it  was  to  the  faithful  training  of  this  excellent  woman 
that  her  son  acquired  that  strict  integrity  which  distin- 
2 


10  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

guished  him  through  life.  The  boy,  at  an  early  age, 
manifested  the  restless  energy  which  ever  afterwards  char- 
acterized him,  in  that  respect  resembling  his  father,  whose 
daring  spirit  would  stop  at  nothing  when  there  was  any 
enterprise  on  foot. 

To  his  good  mother,  David  was  indebted  for  his  early 
education,  and  it  was  her  earnest  desire  that  his  progress 
through  life  should  be  guided  by  the  principles  of  religion, 
so  that  his  character  would  receive  no  stain  ;  and  his  most 
earnest  subject  of  regret,  in  after  life,  was  the  neglect  he 
had  paid  to  many  of  his  mother's  admonitions,  and  the 
grief  he  had  caused  her  by  his  hasty  temper  and  madcap 
pranks ;  for  being  a  boy  of  ungovernable  spirits  he  was 
always  getting  into  scrapes  w^hich  frequently  caused  him 
much  inconvenience.  His  constitution  was  naturally  deli- 
cate and  his  frame  fragile,  and  much  anxiety  was  felt  by 
his  parents  lest  he  should  never  attain  manhood;  but  such 
was  the  strength  of  his  spirit  that  he  passed  through  fits  of 
sickness  that  would  have  carried  ofl'  many  a  stronger  boy. 

As  David  grew  in  years  he  developed  a  fondness  for  a 
sea  life,  from  hearing  his  father's  account  of  his  various 
adventures,  and  when  he  was  about  sixteen  years  old  his 
father,  having  obtained  command  of  a  vessel  in  the  West 
India  trade,  took  the  lad  to  sea  with  him  (much  against 
his  fond  mother's  wishes),  by  way  of  initiating  him  into  the 
life  of  a  sailor.  It  was  in  the  year  1796,  that  the  Eliza, 
commanded  by  David  Porter  Sen",  sailed  from  Baltimore 
bound  to  the  West  Indies  at  a  time  when  the  United 
States  was  without  a  navy,  and  when  an  English  press- 
gang  did  not  hesitate  to  board  any  of  our  vessels,  and 
carry  off  such  of  their  crews  as  might  suit  their  fancy  ! 

While  the  Eliza  was  lying  in  the  port  of  Jeremie  in 
the  Island  of  San  Domingo,  an  armed  boat  from  a  British 
man-of-war  came  alongside  and  demanded  to  search  the 
vessel  for  deserters  or  for  men  who  owed  allegiance  to 
Great  Britain.  Captain  Porter  told  the  British  officer 
that  if  he  came  on  board  the  Eliza  it  would  be  at  his 
peril,  as  he  was  armed  and  would  resist  him  to  the  last 
extremity.  The  Englishman  laughed  at  the  idea  of  a 
Yankee  skipper  bidding  defiance  to  his  majesty's  forces, 
and  ordered  his  men  to  go  on  board  at  once.     It  is  not 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  11 

known  who  fired  the  first  shot,  but  the  order  to  board 
had  no  sooner  passed  the  British  officer's  lips  than  Captain 
Porter  called  out,  "Repel  boarders !  "  and  the  Americans, 
armed  to  the  teeth,  rushed  upon  their  assailants  and  drove 
them  overboard.  Several  men  were  killed  and  wounded 
on  both  sides,  and  one  man  was  shot  down  by  the  side  of 
young  Porter,  who  was  lending  his  feeble  aid  to  help  drive 
the  press-gang  from  the  ship.  The  honor  of  the  flag  was 
never  more  fully  vindicated  than  on  this  occasion.  Captain 
Porter  setting  an  example  which  it  would  have  been  well 
if  it  had  been  universally  followed.  In  the  aflair  of  the 
Eliza  young  Porter  received  his  first  baptism  in  blood,  and 
the  circumstances  of  that  event  made  a  lasting  impression 
upon  him. 

The  traditions  of  his  family  and  the  sufferings  which 
his  relatives  had  endured  in  the  British  prison  ship,  were 
not  calculated  to  prejudice  him  in  favor  of  the  English ; 
but  this  attempt  of  a  powerful  ship  of  war  to  impress  the 
crew  of  his  father's  vessel,  filled  him  with  contempt  and 
hatred  for  a  government  that  could  sanction  such  cowardly 
actions.  This  feeling  of  hostility  to  the  English  grew  with 
his  years,  and  in  his  after  life  was  well  understood  by  them ; 
and,  to  use  his  own  expression,  his  intercourse  with  them 
to  the  last  was  marked  by  treachery  and  duplicity  on  their 
part,  yet  he  considered  it  the  highest  compliment  ever  paid 
him,  when  the  British  branded  him  as  a  pirate,  and  sent 
so  many  ships  to  try  and  stop  his  career.  Perhaps  that 
famous  motto  that  he  carried  at  the  mast  head  of  the 
Essex,  "Free  Trade  and  Sailor's  Rights,"  was  inspired  by 
the  remembrance  of  the  bloody  scene  on  the  Eliza's  deck, 
and  very  likely  his  desire  to  enter  the  navy  was  that  he 
might  help  to  avenge  the  continual  insults  that  were 
offered  the  American  flag. 

The  aflair  of  the  Eliza  excited  much  attention  at  the 
time,  and  Captain  Porter  received  great  commendation 
from  all  quarters  when  the  narrative  was  published  in  the 
newspapers  of  the  day.  The  government  of  the  United 
States  was  so  far  stirred  by  public  opinion,  as  to  make  a 
mild  protest  against  the  impressment  system  as  applied  to 
our  vessels;  but  how  little  eflect  this  manifesto  had  upon 
"  the  mariners  of  England,"  may  be  judged  from  the  action 


12  Memoir  of  Commodoee  David  Porter. 

of  a  British  squadron  in  boarding  an  American  ship  of  war, 
on  the  16th  of  l^ovember,  1798,  and  taking  out  part  of  her 
crew ;  the  captain  of  the  United  States  vessel  not  striking 
a  single  blow  in  defense  of  his  country's  honor. 

As  some  palliation  for  this  officer's  inaction  it  may  be 
said,  that  he  had  received  orders  from  the  government  on 
no  account  to  interfere  and  prevent  the  capture  of  our 
vessels,  as  the  British  "  would  no  doubt  compensate  for 
such  captures  illegally  made ;  "  as  if  national  honor  was  a 
matter  of  dollars  and  cents.  The  gallantry  of  old  Captain 
Porter  stands  out,  therefore,  in  bold  relief,  a  striking  con- 
trast to  the  timid  policy  of  the  United  States  government 
at  that  time. 

After  the  return  of  the  Eliza  from  her  voyage,  young 
David  Porter  sojourned  a  few  weeks  with  his  friends,  and 
then  sailed,  as  first  officer,  in  a  vessel  bound  from  Balti- 
more to  St.  Domingo.  He  was  now  a  sallow-faced  lad  of 
seventeen,  with  a  bright  black  eye  indicating  the  soul  that 
dwelt  within  that  frail  tenement.  Until  the  day  of  his 
death  the  remarkable  brightness  of  those  eyes  was  never 
dimmed,  but  would  flash  up  in  any  moment  of  excitement, 
showing  that  time  could  not  quench  the  fire  that  animated 
his  spirit. 

On  his  second  voyage  he  was  to  further  taste  the  vicis- 
situdes of  life.  The  brig  in  which  he  sailed  was  at  one  of 
the  ports  in  San  Domingo  when  a  boat's  crew  came  on 
board  from  an  English  frigate  on  the  usual  errand  of  im- 
pressment ;  and  the  master,  either  taken  by  surprise,  or 
being  of  different  spirit  from  old  Captain  Porter,  allowed 
his  crew  to  be  taken  on  board  the  frigate,  where  they 
were  kept  until  they  should  be  in  the  humor  to  enlist. 
Most  of  the  Americans  refusing  to  perform  duty  were  put 
in  irons,  among  them  Porter,  whose  example  doubtless 
stimulated  his  shipmates  to  resistance.  In  consequence  of 
their  continued  refusal  to  do  duty,  and  as  the  captain 
expressed  it  "  the  bad  example  set  the  crew  of  his  majesty's 
ship,"  the  Americans  were  ordered  to  the  gangway. 

When  brought  to  the  mast,  and  seeing  the  ignominious 
punishment  about  to  be  inflicted,  young  Porter  broke 
away  from  the  master-at-arms,  ran  below  and  stowed 
himself  away  in  some  dark  corner  of  the  hold,  where  he 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  13 

could  not  be  found,  the  crew  of  the  frigate  sympathizing 
with  him  and  covering  his  escape.  The  captain  gave 
orders  to  let  him  alone,  saying,  "he'll  come  out  fast 
enough  when  he  gets  hungry."  That  night  the  young 
man  did  come  out,  and  crawling  cautiously  along  the 
main  and  mizzen  chains  dropped  quietly  overboard  and 
swam  unobserved  to  a  Danish  brig  at  anchor  near  by, 
where  he  lay  concealed  in  the  hold  until  the  brig  sailed 
for  Europe,  when  he  came  on  deck  and  worked  his  passage 
across  the  Atlantic.  At  the  end  of  the  voyage  he  found 
himself  in  Europe  without  money  and  with  only  the  clothes 
on  his  back ;  but  nothing  daunted,  he  soon  shipped  in  a 
foreign  vessel  bound  to  the  United  States.  It  was  mid 
winter  when  the  vessel  sailed  to  cross  the  Atlantic,  and 
great  must  have  been  the  sufferings  of  this  frail  youth, 
destitute  of  necessary  clothing  and  exposed  to  all  the  hard- 
ships of  a  common  sailor ;  but  he  bore  up  manfully,  and 
was  ever  at  his  post  when  the  frequent  storms  required  all 
hands  to  be  at  their  stations.  It  seems  almost  incredible 
that  his  delicate  constitution  could  have  stood  the  hard- 
ships to  which  he  was  exposed,  but  it  only  affords  another 
instance  of  a  feeble  body  supported  by  a  strong  mind. 

Young  Porter  made  a  third  voyage  to  the  West  Indies, 
and  had  the  misfortune  again  to  be  impressed  on  board  a 
British  vessel  of  war.  While  on  board  this  ship  he  re- 
ceived very  brutal  treatment  for  what  was  termed  his 
insubordination,  but  it  was  not  long  before  he  managed 
to  escape  and  rejoin  his  friends.  Being  now  naturally 
somewhat  disgusted  with  life  in  the  merchant  service,  see- 
ing little  chance  of  avoiding  a  press-gang  if  he  went  to  sea 
in  a  private  vessel,  he  obtained  through  the  influence  of 
his  friends  a  midshipman's  appointment  in  the  navy.  His 
warrant  was  dated  April  16th,  1798,  at  which  time  he  was 
eighteen  years  of  age ;  but  having  passed  through  two 
years  of  great  hardship,  he  had  gained  a  valuable  experi- 
ence, and  his  bodily  frame  had  become  much  stronger. 
From  his  father  he  had  acquired  a  fair  knowledge  of  navi- 
gation, and  he  was  already  an  excellent  seaman. 

Having  now  launched  young  Porter  into  the  profession 
of  his  choice,  we  shall  endeavor  to  give  an  impartial  ac- 
count of  his  naval  career ;    and  here  we  must  digress  a 


14  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

little,  to  show  the  causes  which  led  as  into  a  conflict 
with  France,  our  ally  in  the  revolution;  for  in  this  con- 
flict David  Porter  gained  his  first  reputation  in  arms. 


CHAPTER  II. 


iTsT  1795,  a  disgraceful  treaty  of  peace  was  signed  with 
Algiers,  which  cost  the  government  of  the  United  States 
nearly  a  million  of  dollars,  a  sum  quite  sufficient  to  have 
kept  the  port  of  Algiers  hermetically  sealed  until  the 
Algerines  should  have  sued  for  peace,  and  permission  to 
send  their  vessels  to  sea.  The  result  of  our  difficulty 
with  this  piratical  nation  was  the  formation  of  a  small 
navy,  consisting  of  the  Constitution,  44 ;  President,  44 ; 
United  States,  44 ;  Chesapeake,  38 ;  (Constellation,  38 ; 
Congress,  38 ;  which  it  will  be  seen,  were  to  be  brought 
in  play  on  a  theatre  little  dreamed  of  when  it  was  pro- 
posed to  build  them. 

During  the  war  in  Europe,  in  which  the  maritime 
powers  were  generally  engaged  at  this  time,  their  hostility 
to  each  other  led  them  to  trespass  on  the  privileges  of 
neutrals,  in  which  American  commerce  suflered  very 
severely;  and  the  gradual  encroachments  on  the  rights  of 
the  American  people  finally  led  to  a  quasi  war  with 
France.  The  French  having  given  great  assistance  to  the 
Americans  during  their  revolution,  presumed  upon  this 
circumstance,  and  the  cruisers  of  France  carried  their 
depredations  to  a  height  of  audacity.  They  likely  mistook 
the  amount  of  influence  of  their  own  country  over  the 
great  body  of  the  American  people,  and  also  considering 
that  the  Americans  were  not  much  of  a  naval  power,  and 
would  not  attempt  to  resist  their  action  (even  though  it 
was  so  detrimental  to  our  mercantile  interests).  They 
commenced   their  acts  of  hostility  by  capturing  British 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  15 

vessels  within  the  waters  of  the  United  States.  I^ot  con- 
tent with  doing  this  against  our  earnest  protestations,  they 
committed  the  same  offense  against  American  merchant 
vessels.  All  our  attempts  to  obtain  redress  from  the  French 
government  failed,  and  our  government  determined  no 
longer  to  submit  to  this  injustice,  recommended,  in  April 
1798,  to  congress,  to  fit  out  vessels  of  war  for  the  defense 
of  our  rights,  hoping  this  would  have  the  effect  of  check- 
ing these  aggressions  and  avert  hostilities.  The  American 
nation  felt  very  grateful  to  France  for  the  assistance 
rendered  them  during  the  revolution,  but  their  gratitude 
did  not  extend  so  far  as  to  permit  those  gross  violations  of 
neutrality  and  oppression  of  a  people  for  whom  the  French 
professed  so  much  love  and  esteem.  Twenty  small  vessels 
were  recommended  to  be  built  and  six  ships  of  the  line, 
which  were  in  addition  to  the  six  frigates  already  author- 
ized by  law.  The  frigate  United  States,  44  guns,  and  the 
Constellation,  38,  had  been  launched  the  year  previous, 
and  were  being  fitted  for  sea.  A  secretary  of  the  navy 
was  appointed  at  this  period,  the  first  time  this  department 
had  been  established  by  a  law  of  congress.  Benjamin 
Stoddart  of  Georgetown  was  the  person  selected  to  fill  the 
place.  On  the  4th  of  May,  of  the  same  year,  the  president 
was  empowered,  by  congress,  to  retaliate  upon  the  French, 
and  to  '*  instruct  all  the  commanders  of  public  vessels  to 
capture  and  send  into  port  all  French  cruisers,  whether 
public  or  private,  that  might  be  found  anywhere  on  our 
coast  having  committed,  or  which  there  were  reasons  to 
suppose  might  commit,  depredations  on  our  commerce ; 
they  were  also  directed  to  recapture  every  American  vessel 
that  might  have  fallen  into  their  hands."  Laws  were  also 
passed  providing  for  the  condemnation  of  such  captured 
vessels  as  prizes  of  war,  and  for  the  distribution  of  the 
same  amongst  the  officers  and  crew. 

At  this  time,  the  navy  consisted  of  the  six  frigates  build- 
ing, twelve  vessels  to  be  built,  carrying  between  eighteen 
and  twenty  guns;  and  congress  authorized  the  accept- 
ance of  twelve  more,  should  they  be  offered  to  the  presi- 
dent by  private  citizens. 

This  was  a  small  navy  with  which  to  commence  war 
against  a  powerful  naval  power,  but  the  government  did 


16  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

not  hesitate  a  moment  in  vindicating  its  rights,  averse  as 
it  had  shown  itself  to  break  the  ties  of  friendship  with  a 
nation  that  had  extended  to  us  a  helping  hand.  But  our 
much  abused  amity  could  no  longer  stand  the  aggressions 
of  these  doubtful  friends.  Congress,  by  law,  solemnly 
abrogated  the  old  treaty  of  alliance,  which  apparently 
bound  France  and  America  together,  on  the  plea  that 
these  treaty  obligations  had  been  repeatedly  violated  by 
France ;  and  that  the  French  continued,  notwithstanding 
the  protestations  of  the  United  States,  to  uphold  a  system 
of  predatory  warfare  on  the  commerce  of  the  republic. 

Although  an  express  declaration  of  war  was  not  made 
by  congress,  yet  by  the  president's  instructions,  war 
actually  commenced  the  moment  our  ships  of  war  put  to 
sea ;  and  commanding  officers  were  authorized  to  capture 
all  public  and  private  armed  vessels,  and  authority  was 
also  given  to  issue  to  private  armed  cruisers  letters  of 
marque,  authorizing  them  to  capture  French  property, 
upon  the  high  seas,  wherever  it  might  be  found. 

The  above  facts  are  mentioned  to  show,  to  those  un- 
familiar with  the  subject,  how  it  happened  that  the  United 
States  became  engaged  in  war  with  its  ancient  ally  so  soon 
after  the  revolution.  Were  not  the  facts  explained,  it 
might  subject  us  to  censure  on  the  ground  of  ingratitude 
to  a  nation  to  whom  we  owed  so  ,much,  and  without  whose 
assistance  we  would  not  so  easily  have  gained  that  inde- 
pendence which  has  allowed  us  to  become  a  great  nation 
and  an  asylum  for  all  the  oppressed  people  of  the  earth. 

Our  navy  at  that  time  was  a  badly  organized  affair.  Its 
officers  had  received*no  regular  training  at  naval  schools, 
or  on  the  decks  of  well  conducted  ships  of  war.  The 
commanders  were  from  the  merchant  service,  as  also  the 
subordinate  officers,  and  the  seamen  were  taken  from 
among  the  hardy  fishermen  brought  up,  amid  the  storms 
of  winter,  oji  our  eastern  coast.  It  was  at  this  period  that 
the  marine  corps  was  permanently  established,  adding  a 
new  feature  to  our  naval  marine,  for  though  we  had  pos- 
sessed marines  in  the  war  of  the  revolution,  yet  they  had 
been  abolished  with  the  navy  which  then  existed. 

This  may  be  said  to  be  the  first  actual  establishment  of 
an  American  naval  marine,  the'  nucleus  from  which  the 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  17 

present  establishment  has  sprung.  A  great  many  young 
men  of  the  best  families  and  political  influence  pressed 
forward  to  join  the  naval  service,  that  being  at  the  moment 
the  favorite  branch,  and  many  intelligent  boys  whose  age 
did  not  preclude  their  entrance  into  the  navy,  were  en- 
rolled as  midshipmen. 

Commander,  officers  and  seamen  joined  heartily  in  the 
feeling  of  the  day,  and  in  the  desire  to  wipe  out  the  insult 
to  which  the  Americans  had  too  long  submitted.  Barring 
the  want  of  that  strict  naval  discipline,  so  necessary  to  a 
vessel  of  war,  few  ships  were  better  manned  than  ours  were 
at  that  time ;  but  the  officers  were  apt  scholars  and  soon 
adopted  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the  British  navy, 
which  then  existed  and  in  many  respects  still  exist  in  our 
service  to  this  day. 

The  activity  and  determination  of  our  government,  as 
well  as  the  energy  of  the  navy  officers,  in  fitting  out  the 
ships  and  forming  a  good  organization,  astonished  every 
one;  especially  those  who  looked  upon  the  American 
people  as  a  set  of  traders,  who  would  be  willing  to  submit 
to  every  insult  rather  than  submit  to  loss ;  which  character 
the  Americans  had  gained  by  their  patient  submission  to 
the  exactions  of  the  Algerine  cruisers,  which  levied  tribute 
on  them  for  their  piratical  government. 

Great  emulation  existed  which  ship  should  get  to  sea 
first,  to  carry  out  the  ideas  of  our  government.  The  fri- 
gate Constellation,  38,  was  the  second  ship  that  sailed;  she 
was  commanded  by  Thomas  Truxton,  a  brave  and  experi- 
enced seaman  who  feared  nothing  that  floated  on  the  ocean. 
Previous  to  the  sailing  of  the  Constellation,  David  Porter 
was  ordered  to  the  ship,  as  his  first  introduction  to  the 
naval  service.  He  was  soon  at  home  on  the  decks  of  a 
ship  of  war,  seeming  to  imbibe,  intuitively,  the  principles 
of  his  chosen  profession.  At  quarters,  he  was  stationed 
in  the  Constellation's  foretop,  a  post  at  that  time  generally 
given  to  the  midshipmen  of  the  greatest  experience,  which 
we  presume  he  was  considering  his  age  and  opportunities  at 
sea.  Young  Porter,  in  a  short  time,  attracted  the  attention 
of  the  commander  and  officers  of  the  ship,  by  his  good 
conduct  and  attention  to  duty.  His  restless  energy  and 
3 


18  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

activity  kept  him  nearly  always  on  deck,  or  in  the  tops, 
learning  the  details  of  his  profession ;  his  waking  hours 
helow  being  devoted  to  skylarking  and  practical  jokes  on 
his  brother  midshipmen,  for  he  was  a  lively  boy  and  a 
general  favorite  on  board  the  ship.  Altogether  his  was  a 
good  character  with  which  to  commence  a  naval  career. 

In  those  days  the  authority  of  a  ship's  captain  was  abso- 
lute, and  it  was  not  unusual  for  a  commander  and  his 
watch  officers  to  commit  acts  of  oppression  that  would  not 
be  tolerated  at  the  present  time.  Even  as  late  as  the  year 
1820  midshipmen  in  the  British  navy  were  flogged  like 
messenger  boys ;  and  our  commanders,  in  1798,  following 
British  customs,  introduced  punishment  equally  unpleas- 
ant on  board  their  vessels.  It  was  customary  in  those 
days  to  swear  at  the  midshipmen,  send  them  to  the  mast 
head  and  confine  them  for  slight  offenses  on  bread  and 
water,  which  usages  we  are  happy  to  say  have  long  since 
been  abandoned. 

It  was  then  a  difficult  matter  for  a  young  officer  to  get 
along  on  board  ship,  and  maintain  the  good  will  of  all  his 
superiors.  Among  the  best  set  of  officers  there  are  gener- 
ally one  or  two  ill  tempered  persons  who  would  find  fault 
with  an  angel,  if  the  latter  was  so  unfortunate  as  to  be 
under  their  orders ;  and  who  having  few  good  qualities  of 
their  own,  are  jealous  of  those  they  see  in  other  people. 

There  was  an  officer  of  this  description,  whose  name  it 
is  not  necessary  to  mention,  on  board  the  Constellation. 
He  was  of  intemperate  habits  and  made  himself  particularly 
disagreeable  to  all  on  board,  especially  to  young  Porter, 
whom  he  seemed  to  take  a  special  pleasure  in  insulting 
whenever  the  opportunity  ofiered.  The  early  training  of 
the  young  man,  under  his  father — who  was  a  strict  disci- 
plinarian— prevented  him  from  noticing  these  attacks  until 
they  became  too  grievous  to  bear.  He  could  not  appeal 
to  the  commander,  or  any  superior  officer,  for  in  those 
days  such  a  course  was  inadmissible,  so  he  was  obliged 
to  bear  it  patiently  though  his  blood  boiled  at  the  indigni- 
ties heaped  upon  him. 

His  only  satisfaction  was  to  see  Captain  Truxton  visit- 
ing upon  the  lieutenant's  head  some  of  the  same  kind  of 
indignities  the  latter  showered  upon  him ;  for  the  lieutenant 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  19 

being  a  poor  seaman,  and  a  poor  officer,  and  frequently  in- 
toxicated, merited  the  insulting  rebukes  he  received  from 
his  commanding  officer.  Tyrant  like,  he  bore  them  meekly, 
feeling  that  they  were  deserved,  and  knowing  that  he 
held  his  commission  only  at  the  will  of  his  superior. 

One  night,  during  the  first  watch,  this  lieutenant  sent 
Midshipman  Porter  below  with  some  order  which  the  latter 
hastened  to  obey,  but  on  returning  to  the  deck  he  was 
assailed  with  a  shower  of  abuse  for  not  more  promptly 
carrying  out  the  commands  he  had  received.  Porter 
made  no  reply  until  the  lieutenant  commenced  swearing 
at  him  and  calling  him  by  the  most  abusive  epithets.  The 
midshipman's  temper  would  not  permit  him  to  bear  this 
in  silence,  and  he  answered  back  in  what  the  officer  of  the 
deck  considered  a  disrespectful  manner.  This  to  the 
latter  was  nothing  less  than  mutiny,  and  raising  his  hand 
he  struck  Midshipman  Porter  in  the  face.  Such  a  thing, 
in  our  day,  seems  hardly  credible,  for  if  an  officer  were  to 
inflict  such  an  indignity  upon  a  common  sailor  he  would 
be  liable  to  trial  by  court  martial;  but  in  those  times 
similar  events  were  of  common  occurrence.  The  young 
midshipman's  blood  boiled  at  this  outrage,  the  greatest  he 
had  ever  experienced,  and  forgetting  what  was  due  to 
discipline  he  dealt  the  lieutenant  a  tremendous  blow  and 
felled  him  to  the  deck,  where  for  an  instant  he  lay  stunned 
and  motionless.  Of  course  there  was  great  excitement  on 
the  frigate's  deck,  and  the  midshipmen  of  the  watch  rushed 
to  see  what  had  occurred.  The  lieutenant  sprang  to  his 
feet  and  called  for  the  sergeant  of  the  guard,  and  in  the 
midst  of  the  confusion  Captain  Truxton,  who  was  always 
on  the  alert,  stepped  from  his  cabin  to  the  deck.  The 
lieutenant  had  seized  a  cutlass  to  inflict  summary  punish- 
ment on  the  offender,  but  the  captain's  presence  put  a  stop 
to  his  proceedings. 

When  the  captain  heard  of  the  complaint  against  Mid- 
shipman Porter  he  was  very  indignant  at  the  breach  of 
discipline,  and  the  young  man  was  sent  below  under  arrest 
with  the  prospect  of  dismissal  from  the  service ;  but  when 
the  captain  came  to  learn  all  the  facts  of  the  case,  his 
sense  of  justice  compelled  him  to  restore  the  midshipman 
to  duty,  and  ever  afterwards  he  noticed  him  favorably. 


20  Memoir  of  Commodore  J)avid  Porter. 

The  lieutenant  was  finally  dismissed  the  service  for 
drunkenness;  and  years  after  when  Porter  was  a  lieutenant 
and  leading  an  attack  on  some  Tripolitan  vessels,  his  old 
adversary  pulled  the  stroke  oar  in  the  boat.  The  vessels 
were  hauled  up  on  the  beach  in  the  harbor  of  Tripoli,  and 
Lieut.  Porter  had  volunteered  to  burn  them  up.  The 
quondam  lieutenant  proffered  some  advice  on  the  occasion, 
but  at  the  sound  of  his  voice  he  was  recognized  by  Porter, 
who  rebuked  him  for  his  interference.  If  ever  there  was 
an  instance  of  retributive  justice  it  was  exhibited  in  the 
case  of  this  person ;  yet  although  the  ex-lieutenant  was  a 
seaman  on  board  Lieut.  Porter's  own  ship,  the  latter  never 
in  any  way  referred  to  the  past  or  let  the  man  see  that  he 
even  remembered  his  offense.  In  fact  Lieut.  Porter  so 
far  conquered  his  natural  aversion  to  his  former  persecutor, 
as  to  have  him  appointed  a  petty  officer  on  his  transfer  to 
another  ship,  justly  thinking  that  his  old  enemy  had  been 
sufficiently  punished  by  his  degradation  in  rank. 

The  Constellation  sailed  on  the  20th  of  August,  1798, 
and  after  cruising  along  our  coast  and  in  the  "West  Indies 
convoying  American  merchantmen,  she  sailed  for  hei 
prescribed  cruising  ground  off  the  Island  of  I^evis  in  the 
West  Indies.  On  the  9th  of  February,  1799,  a  large  ship 
was  descried  to  the  southward,  and  the  frigate  being  to 
windward,  ran  down  to  reconnoitre  the  stranger,  who  on 
her  approach  set  American  colors.  Captain  Truxton  there- 
upon showed  private  signals,  but  the  stranger  could  not 
respond,  and  deeming  further  disguise  useless,  hoisted  the 
French  flag  and  fired  a  gun  to  windward  as  a  challenge, 
keeping  meantime  under  easy  sail,  to  invite  the  Constella- 
tion to  a  contest.  This  was  the  first  opportunity,  since 
the  war  commenced,  that  the  Constellation  had  had  to  get 
alongside  an  enemy  of  a  force  likely  to  make  a  combat 
certain,  and  she  was  not  slow  to  avail  herself  of  the  chance, 
the  enemy  meanwhile  gallantly  awaiting  the  onset. 

"When  the  Constellation  had  got  abeam  of  the  French 
frigate,  and  so  near  as  to  have  been  several  times  hailed, 
she  opened  Jier  fire,  which  was  gallantly  returned  by  the 
Frenchman.  The  Constellation  gradually  drew  ahead, 
both  ships  keeping  up  a  brisk  cannonade.  The  former 
suffered  most  in  her  sails  and  rigging,  and  while  under 


m 


Memoik  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  21 

the  heaviest  fire  of  her  antagonist  the  foretopmast  was 
badly  wounded  near  the  lower  cap.  The  foretop  was 
under  the  command  of  Midshipman  Porter,  who  on  this 
occasion  showed  great  promptitude  and  bravery.  He 
hailed  the  deck  several  times  informing  those  below  of  the 
accident  that  had  occurred  to  the  mast,  and  finding  that 
his  hails  were  disregarded  —  his  voice  not  being  heard 
amid  the  din  of  cannonading — he  took  upon  himself  the 
responsibility  of  going  aloft  in  the  heat  of  the  conflict, 
cutting  the  stoppers  and  lowering  the  yard.  Had  he  not 
done  so  the  mast  would  have  gone  over  the  side  in  a  very 
few  moments,  with  the  pressure  of  sail  on  it,  and  the  issue 
of  the  battle  might  have  been  very  difierent. 

In  the  meantime  the  effect  of  the  Constellation's  fire 
was  telling  very  severely  upon  the  French  frigate,  and 
notwithstanding  the  partial  loss  of  the  foretopsail,  the 
former  was  enabled  to  throw  in  several  raking  broadsides 
which  soon  decided  the  combat. 

After  maintaining  a  close  cannonade  for  more  than  an 
hour,  the  Constellation  shot  out  of  the  smoke,  wore  round, 
and  hauling  across  her  antagonist's  stern,  was  ready  again 
to  rake  her,  when  the  Frenchman  struck  his  colors. 

The  prize  proved  to  be  the  frigate  L'Insurgente,  Cap- 
tain Barreault.  She  was  one  of  the  fastest  ships  afloat, 
and  had  committed  serious  depredations  upon  our  com- 
merce, besides  recapturing  the  Ketaliation,  a  vessel  we 
had  originally  taken  from  the  French. 

The  French  frigate  was  much  cut  up,  and  had  sustained 
a  loss  of  seventy  men  in  killed  and  wounded.  The  Con- 
stellation was  also  much  damaged  aloft  though  suffering 
no  material  injury  to  the  hull,  and  had  only  three  men 
wounded.  It  was  the  old  story  of  the  Anglo-Saxon 
.  against  the  Celt  at  sea,  and  if  the  French  ships  that  en- 
countered the  British  handled  their  guns  no  better  than 
did  L'Insurgente,  no  wonder  that  an  English  vessel  would 
sometimes  capture  a  Frenchman  twice  her  size.  There 
was  much  courage  displayed  on  this  occasion  by  the  French, 
but  little  professional  skill. 

The  Insurgente's  armament  consisted  of  40  French  12- 
pounders,  and  she  carried  four  hundred  and  nine  men; 
while  the  Constellation  had  36  guns  and  three  hundred 


22  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

and  nine  men.  The  main  deck  battery  of  the  Constella- 
tion of  26  24-pounder8  was  much  heavier  than  the  French- 
man, but  as  the  fire  of  the  latter  was  so  inaccurate  that 
few  of  her  shot  struck  the  Constellation's  hull,  it  mattered 
little  whether  she  mounted  24  or  6-pounders. 

This  action  showed  an  aptitude  for  naval  service  on  the 
part  of  our  seamen,  and  showed  what  might  be  expected 
in  the  future.  When  the  news  of  the  battle  reached  the 
United  States  our  people  were  as  much  elated  as  a  young 
boxer  who  had  won  his  first  victory  against  an  old  pugil- 
ist. In  their  ignorance  of  such  matters  they  naturally 
imagined  that  our  navy  was  a  match  for  any  other  in  the 
world;  rather  a  hazardous  conclusion  to  base  on  the 
results  of  a  single  action.  However,  it  is  certain  that 
Captain  Truxton,  and  those  under  him,  did  their  work  in 
a  manner  entitling  them  to  the  greatest  praise,  for  though 
there  was  a  disparity  of  force  in  favor  of  the  American 
frigate,  it  was  not  sufficient  to  account  for  such  a  disparity 
in  the  list  of  killed,  and  the  efiect  on  the  hull  of  the 
French  vessel. 

Mr.  John  Rodgers  (afterwards  Commodore  Rodgers), 
one  of  the  best  seamen  that  ever  trod  a  ship's  deck,  was 
at  that  time  first  lieutenant  of  the  Constellation.  When 
the  Insurgente  struck,  Mr.  Rodgers  was  directed  to  take 
possession  of  the  prize,  which  he  proceeded  to  do  in  a  boat 
manned  by  eleven  men  and  Midshipman  Porter.  While 
Lieut.  Rodgers  was  busy  transferring  the  prisoners  to  the 
Constellation,  it  came  on  to  blow  heavily  which  put  a 
stop  to  further  proceedings.  Consequently  173  of  the 
French  crew  were  left  on  board  the  prize  that  night  with 
only  the  two  officers  and  eleven  men  to  take  care  of  them. 
The  gale  rapidly  increased  and  in  spite  of  every  effort  the 
two  ships  became  separated  in  the  darkness  of  the  night. 
The  situation  of  Lieut.  Rodgers  was  now  critical.  The 
Insurgente  was  encumbered  with  the  wreck  of  the  fallen 
spars  and  rigging,  the  dead  and  wounded  were  scattered 
all  about  the  ship,  and  the  prisoners  evinced  a  disposition 
to  rise  against  their  captors.  The  gratmgs  had  all  been 
thrown  overboard  by  the  crew,  and  no  handcuffs  could  be 
found.  Fortunately  Lieut.  Rodgers  was  a  man  of  hercu- 
lean strength  and  of  the  most  determined  character,  and 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  23 

Midshipman  Porter  thougli  slight  in  frame  showed  a  reso- 
lute spirit  which  elicited  the  highest  encomiums  from  his 
superior  officer.  Finding  that  the  prisoners  must  remain 
on  board  that  night  they  were  sent  to  the  lower  hold,  the 
firearms  were  all  secured,  and  a  sentry  was  placed  at  the 
hatch  with  orders  to  shoot  the  first  man  who  attempted  to 
come  up. 

In  this  unpleasant  situation  our  people  continued  for 
three  days  and  nights,  during  all  of  which  time  they  were 
without  sleep,  having  to  manage  the  frigate  in  a  gale  of 
wind  and  be  constantly  on  the  alert  to  prevent  being  over- 
powered by  their  prisoners. 

J^ever  in  the  history  of  our  navy  has  such  another  feat 
as  this  been  performed.  It  was  necessary  for  Lieut.  Rodgers 
to  be  constantly  on  deck  to  manage  the  half  wrecked  fri- 
gate assisted  by  six  or  seven  men,  while  Midshipman 
Porter,  with  the  remainder,  was  occupied  below  in  taking 
care  of  the  prisoners.  How  well  the  duty  was  performed 
the  result  showed.  One  of  the  guns  was  cast  loose,  loaded 
with  grape  and  canister,  and  pointed  down  the  hatch,  over 
which  a  bag  filled  with  shot  was  suspended,  ready  to  be 
cut  away  at  a  moment's  notice,  all  the  muskets  and  pistols 
were  kept  loaded  and  lay  by  the  hatch,  and  two  or  three 
men  with  pikes  and  battle  axes  to  be  used  in  case  of 
emergency  stood  at  the  opening.  The  result  of  these  pre- 
cautior^s  was  that  the  Frenchmen  were  afraid  to  make  any 
attempt  to  recapture  the  vessel,  and  amused  themselves 
below  by  committing  all  the  destruction  possible. 

It  was  a  happy  day  for  the  handful  of  Americans  when 
the  Insurgente  was  anchored  safely  in  the  harbor  of  St. 
Kitts,  which  they  finally  reached  at  the  end  of  three  days, 
and  found  the  Constellation  at  anchor,  all  hands  suppos- 
ing that  the  Insurgente  had  been  recaptured. 

This  was  a  rough  school  for  young  Porter,  but  he  was 
fortunate  in  commencing  his  career  with  Captain  Truxton 
and  Lieut.  Rodgers.  Both  were  officers  of  the  highest  repu- 
tation, strict  disciplinarians  and  men  of  undoubted  probity. 
Under  them  Porter  formed  the  character  which  did  so 
much  towards  his  advancement  in  the  service ;  and  he 
often,  in  after  years,  congratulated  himself  in  having  been 
brought  up  in  such  a  thorough  naval  school. 


24  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

Severe  as  was  that  discipline  aud  unjust  as  were  some 
of  the  decisions  of  naval  commanders  of  those  days  against 
their  junior  officers,  who  were  liable  to  dismissal  from  the 
service  at  the  mere  instance  of  a  captious  captain,  yet  it  is 
acknowledged  by  those  familiar  with  the  subject  that  the 
usages  of  that  early  period  were  far  better  calculated  to 
make  officers  who  will  distinguish  themselves  in  war  than 
those  of  the  present  day.  ITotwithstanding  the  attractions 
presented  by  a  naval  career,  yet  so  great  were  the  exac- 
tions and  so  unceasing  the  strain  on  a  boy's  nervous  tem- 
perament that  only  the  most  rugged  and  determined  could 
remain  in  the  service  for  any  length  of  time.  On  the  whole 
it  is  unfortunate  for  the  navy  that  this  severe  discipline 
was  not  maintained  up  to  the  present  time,  for  if  it  had 
been  with  our  advance  in  nautical  science  we  should  be 
invincible  upon  the  ocean. 

Captain  Truxton  was  a  very  severe  man,  and  his  first 
lieutenant,  Mr.  Rodgers,  was  in  no  respect  behind  him. 
They  had  both  been  educated  in  the  rough  school  of  the 
merchant  service,  where  the  officers,  having  no  marines 
to  support  them,  had  to  depend  upon  their  own  physical 
powers  for  the  maintenance  of  discipline  among  crews 
often  made  up  of  the  most  desperate  men.  Few  of  the 
present  amenities  of  the  quarter  deck  were  practiced  in  the 
early  days  of  the  navy,  and  it  required  a  great  deal  of  for- 
bearance in  a  high  spirited  youth  to  control  his  temper 
under  the  abuse  to  which  he  was  often  subjected. 

Notwithstanding  Midshipman  Porter's  ambition  to 
make  his  way  in  the  navy,  he  was  several  times  on  the 
point  of  resigning.  Upon  one  occasion  he  told  Captain 
Truxton  that  his  tyranny  was  more  than  he  could  bear, 
whereupon  the  honest  hearted  old  seaman  took  him  by  the 
hand  and  said :  "  My  boy,  you  shall  never  leave  the  navy 
if  I  can  help  it ;  why  you  young  dog,  every  time  I  swear  at 
you,  you  go  up  a  round  in  the  ladder  of  promotion;  and 
when  Mr.  Rodgers  blows  you  up  it  is  because  he  loves 
you  and  don't  want  you  to  become  too  conceited."  Porter 
finally  became  much  attached  to  Truxton  and  Rodgers, 
and  their  mutual  friendship  terminated  only  with  their 
lives. 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  25 

It  was  during  the  quasi  French  war,  and  under  such 
officers  as  Truxton  and  Rodgers  that  our  little  navy  laid 
that  foundation  which  earned  for  ifc  so  much  fame  in  a 
war  with  a  greater  power  even  than  France,  and  raised 
up  a  body  of  officers  who  have  never  since  been  equalled, 
notwithstanding  all  the  later  advantages  of  education. 

Our  war  with  France  was  not  such  a  trifling  affair  as 
many  persons  seem  to  suppose,  for  it  was  carried  on  earn- 
estly for  upwards  of  eighteen  months,  during  which  time, 
as  is  shown  by  public  records,  our  navy  not  only  captured 
and  sent  in  64  public  and  private  armed  cruisers,  but 
recaptured  a  number  of  American  vessels  that  had  been 
made  prizes  to  the  French.  The  enemy's  cruisers  were 
well  armed  and  manned,  the  object  being  to  maintain  a 
nursery  for  their  seamen ;  while  by  sending  out  numerous 
letters  of  marque  to  prey  upon  our  commerce  she  hoped 
to  prevent  the  United  States  from  becoming  a  formidable 
naval  power,  and  in  fact  to  reduce  us  to  the  lowest  degree 
of  humiliation.  This  was  felt  by  naval  men  more  than  by 
our  citizens  generally,  who,  not  being  near  the  theatre  of 
war,  could  hardly  realize  the  indignities  to  which  our 
country  was  subjected.  It  is  no  wonder  that  our  officers 
strained  every  nerve  to  bring  naval  discipline  up  to  that 
high  water  mark  which  it  so  long  maintained. 

When  the  aggressions  of  the  Algerines,  in  1798,  had 
stimulated  congress  to  authorize  the  construction  of  the 
six  ships,  formerly  mentioned,  mounting  246  guns,  and 
orders  were  issued  to  officers  of  the  navy  to  commence 
hostilities  against  the  French,  only  the  Ganges,  Constella- 
tion, and  Delaware  were  available  to  teach  the  second 
naval  power  of  the  world  to  respect  American  neutrality 
and  American  commerce.  Under  the  circumstances,  a 
declaration  of  hostilities  against  France  was  what  an 
Englishman  would  call  "  plucky,"  and  was  worthy  of  the 
fathers  of  the  Revolution,  who  were  mindful  of  the  glorious 
traditions  of  the  past. 

By  the  beginning  of  the  year  1799,  thirty-three  vessels 
of  war,  mounting  more  than  eight  hundred  guns,  had 
been  fitted  for  sea,  and  for  more  than  a  year  this  force 
was  maintained  afloat;  a  force  actually  superior  to  our 
navy  of  the  present  moment ! 
4 


26  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

It  was  fortunate  for  the  navy  and  for  the  country  that 
we  had  at  that  time  a  statesman  like  John  Adams  in  the 
presidential  chair.  He  was  well  aware  of  the  necessity  of 
a  navy  to  protect  our  coasts  and  commerce,  and  did  all  in 
his  power  to  increase  it  to  a  size  commensurate  with  the 
resources  of  the  young  republic.  John  Adams  may  there- 
fore be  styled  the  father  of  the  navy,  for  without  the 
impetus  it  received  under  his  administration  the  service 
would  probably  never  have  amounted  to  much.  It  was 
certainly  the  policy  of  the  succeeding  administration  to 
pull  down  all  that  Mr.  Adams  had  built  up,  until  necessity, 
in  the  shape  of  the  Algerines,  compelled  it  to  provide  for 
the  defense  of  our  commerce. 

At  that  day  we  had  no  large  navy  yards  as  at  present, 
but  ships  had  to  be  built  wherever  it  was  found  conveni- 
ent, and  fitted  for  service  under  their  own  officers.  The 
promptness  they  displayed  in  getting  their  vessels  to  sea, 
shows  the  energy  with  which  these  officers  were  imbued 
and  the  earnestness  of  their  desire  to  put  a  stop  to  humili- 
ating aggressions  against  our  flag. 

The  British  were  much  surprised  when  they  saw  so 
many  American  ships  of  war  spreading  their  sails  in  the 
West  Indies ;  Commodore  Truxton  having,  at  one  time,  a 
squadron  of  ten  ships  under  his  command.  The  British 
received  their  American  cousins  kindly,  and  at  first  were 
rather  amused  at  the  strenuous  eflbrts  made  by  the  Yankee 
cruisers  to  compete  in  routine  and  evolutions  with  their 
older  rivals,  but  in  a  short  time  John  Bull  was  forced  to 
acknowledge  that  the  young  navy  contained  apt  scholars, 
who  would  soon  equal  them  in  everything  relating  to 
ships  of  war. 

The  advent  of  Truxton's  squadron,  in  the  West  Indies, 
was  of  great  assistance  to  the  English  in  extirpating  the 
swarms  of  privateers  that  infested  those  waters  under  the 
French  flag,  preying  indiscriminately  upon  English  com- 
merce and  our  own.  The  success  of  our  countrymen 
forced  the  English  to  acknowledge  that  the  former  had 
performed  a  feat  to  which  they  were  not  equal,  and  it  is 
fair  to  presume  that  the  result  was  due  to  the  greater 
energy  of  Truxton  and  his  officers  and  men. 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  27 

It  was  during  this  association  with  English  vessels  in 
the  West  Indies,  that  something  like  a  uniform  system  of 
regulations  was  introduced  on  board  our  ships  of  war,  and 
the  "  Laws  for  the  better  government  of  the  navy, "  ap- 
proved May  22,  1800,  were  taken  nearly  verbatim  from 
the  English  regulations  of  that  period,  as  was  likewise  the 
system  of  naval  routine  we  adopted.  It  cannot  be  doubted 
that  our  officers  benefited  very  much  by  this  association, 
profiting  by  the  experience  of  the  older  navy  and  avoiding 
many  of  their  mistakes. 

In  writing  the  memoirs  of  a  public  character  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  avoid  trenching  upon  other  matters  that  more 
properly  belong  to  the  general  history  of  the  period,  but 
it  would  be  impossible  to  give  a  proper  idea  of  the  merits 
and  services  of  the  subject  of  our  biography  without  giv- 
ing pretty  full  particulars  of  the  historical  events  with 
which  he  was  an  active  participator. 

I  have  tried  to  give  an  idea  of  the  school  in  which 
Decatur,  Bainbridge,  Rodgers,  Morris,  Hull,  and  many 
other  distinguished  officers,  received  the  rudiments  of  a 
naval  education.  Under  Truxton  and  Talbot  in  the  West 
Indies  was  laid  the  foundation,  elsewhere  the  capstone  of 
a  fame  which  the  navy  will  never  lose  despite  the  changes 
in  a  republic. 

Midshipman  Porter  was  promoted  lieutenant  Oct.  8, 
1799,  and  detached  from  the  Constellation.  Previous  to 
his  transfer  from  that  ship,  Mr.  Porter  was  an  unwilling 
actor  in  a  melancholy  aflair,  which  being,  however,  an  im- 
portant event  in  his  life,  an  account  is  herewith  inserted. 

While  the  Constellation  was  lying  at  Annapolis  after 
her  return  from  the  West  Indies,  several  seamen  deserted 
from  the  ship  and  managed  to  reach  Baltimore  on  some 
of  the  small  coasters  plying  to  that  port.  Commodore 
Truxton  immediately  dispatched  Mr.  Porter  in  the  pilot 
boat  to  bring  them  on  board,  and  he  was  particularly  ad- 
monished not  to  let  them  escape,  as  it  was  desired  to  make 
examples  of  them,  as  they  were  bad  characters.  Mr.  Por- 
ter, knowing  that  he  must  leave  no  stone  unturned  to 
capture  the  deserters,  went  through  all  the  purlieus  of 
Baltimore  where  such  characters  would  likely  take  refuge. 
Now  this  duty  was  one  very  repugnant  to  an  officer  at 


28  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

that  time,  for  it  was  one  that  brought  them  in  contact 
with  the  refuse  of  creation,  to  say  nothing  of  the  obvious 
danger  of  attempting  an  arrest  under  the  circumstances. 
Mr.  Porter  wandered  all  over  the  town  (no  great  journey 
in  those  days),  and  finally  stopped  at  a  common  looking 
tavern  where,  being  fatigued  and  hungry,  he  asked  refresh- 
ment at  the  same  time  telling  the  landlord  what  business 
had  brought  him  to  Baltimore.  Now  this  person  was 
under  the  influence  of  liquor,  and  having  for  some  rea- 
son a  particular  dislike  to  naval  officers,  he  commenced  a 
most  abusive  attack  on  Mr.  Porter  and  ordered  him  out 
of  the  house ;  which  order,  to  avoid  a  difficulty,  Mr.  Porter 
complied  with.  His  movements,  however,  were  not  rapid 
enough  to  suit  the  fancy  of  the  brutal  landlord,  who  struck 
him  a  violent  blow  and  knocked  him  down,  following  this 
up  by  stamping  upon  him. 

Mr.  Porter  drew  his  side  arms,  at  the  same  time,  call- 
ing on  the  man  to  desist ;  but  the  latter  renewing  the 
assault,  was  killed  on  the  spot.  Of  course  this  affair 
created  intense  excitement,  and  in  a  few  moments  all  the 
people  in  the  neighborhood  flocked  to  the  scene,  and  to 
avoid  further  ill  treatment  the  young  officer  retreated  in 
the  confusion  to  the  pilot  boat,  which  immediately  sailed 
for  Annapolis,  where  the  Constellation  was  awaiting  its 
return,  and  a  few  hours  later  the  frigate  was  at  sea.  At 
the  coroner's  inquest  which  was  held  over  the  remains  of 
the  unfortunate  landlord,  the  wife,  daughter  and  son  of 
the  latter  acknowledged  that  the  deceased  had  committed 
an  unprovoked  attack  on  Mr.  Porter,  and  that  the  latter 
had  killed  him  to  save  his  own  life.  Probably  the  verdict 
of  the  jury  was  in  accordance  with  the  testimony,  as  Mr. 
Porter  was  never  summoned  to  answer  to  any  charge. 

As  soon  as  the  war  with  France  was  ended  Mr.  Porter 
sought  out  the  family  of  the  man  whom  he  had  been 
obliged  to  kill.  He  provided  for  the  daughters,  obtained 
a  situation  for  the  son,  and  pensioned  the  wife  as  long  as 
she  lived.  One  of  his  latest  acts  was,  to  write  and  inquire 
after  the  family,  and  send  them  something  out  of  the  small 
salary  he  then  received.  At  his  death  the  family  mourned 
him  as  their  benefactor. 

The  unfortunate  event  which  we  have  narrated  was  a 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  29 

source  of  great  grief  to  this  higli  minded  man,  even  to  his 
dying  day ;  for  although  he  knew  himself  to  be  blameless 
in  the  affair,  yet  he  felt  that  it  was  a  dreadful  thing  to 
take  a  man's  life  even  in  defense  of  his  own. 

Just  after  his  promotion  Mr.  Porter  was  ordered  as  first 
lieutenant  of  the  schooner  Experiment,  Lieut.  Command- 
ant Maley. 


CHAPTER  in. 


(JWIKGr  to  the  constant  changes  that  occurred  among 
officers  at  that  time  (for  they  were  transferred  from  ship 
to  ship  as  circumstances  required),  it  is  not  possible  for  us 
to  ascertain,  precisely,  what  were  Lieut.  Porter's  duties 
between  the  date  of  his  detachment  from  the  Constellation 
and  his  orders  to  the  Experiment.  This  vessel  joined  the 
West  India  squadron  in  the  latter  part  of  1799,  and  was 
ordered  to  convoy  American  merchant  vessels,  and  to 
cruise  against  French  privateers. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1800,  the  Experiment,  with 
several  sail  of  merchantmen  under  convoy,  lay  becalmed 
in  the  bight  of  Leogane,  in  the  Island  of  San  Domingo. 
The  vessels  were  much  scattered,  and  quite  at  the  mercy 
of  any  of  the  Picaroons  who  might  be  in  the  vicinity;  for 
these  gentry  used  to  lay  in  wait  in  large  barges,  and  over- 
coming the  crew  of  a  merchant  vessel,  would  take  her  in 
tow,  and  by  means  of  their  powerful  sweeps  soon  take 
her  out  of  the  reach  of  the  protecting  vessel,  which  for 
want  of  wind  was  unable  to  follow.  While  the  Experi- 
ment and  convoy  were  thus  lying,  not  a  breath  of  air  stir- 
ring, and  the  vessels  drifting  about  as  the  eddies  influenced 
them.  Captain  Maley  was  informed  that  ten  Picaroon 
barges,  each  containing  forty  men,  and  pulling  26  oars, 
with  swivels  mounted  in  the  bows  and  on  the  quarters. 


30  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

were  rapidly  approaching.  The  Experiment  had  been 
disguised  to  look  as  much  like  a  merchant  vessel  as  pos- 
sible; so  the  unsuspecting  Picaroons  made  towards  her 
with  the  evident  intention  of  boarding.  The  schooner's 
crew  were  sent  to  quarters,  and  everything  was  ready  to 
give  the  freebooters  a  warm  reception. 

It  is  our  imperative  duty  in  treating  of  past  events,  to 
state  the  truth,  no  matter  who  may  suffer  from  such  a 
course.  Lieutenant  Porter  took  it  for  granted  that  the 
schooner  was  to  be  defended  to  the  last  extremity ;  but 
such  we  regret  to  say  was  not  the  view  of  his  commanding 
officer.  The  latter  considered  the  force  about  to  attack  his 
vessel  too  superior  to  contend  with,  and  spoke  of  sur- 
rendering ;  but  Lieut.  Porter,  backed  by  Lieut.  Joshua 
Blake  and  other  officers,  protested  so  strongly  against 
such  a  course,  that  the  commanding  officer  yielded  the 
command  of  the  vessel  to  Porter,  on  whom  rested  all  re- 
sponsibility in  case  of  failure.  In  the  subsequent  proceed- 
ings the  commander  never  gave  a  single  order,  but  stood 
in  the  lee  gangway  looking  over  the  side.  As  soon  as  it 
was  thought  that  the  Experiment's  fire  would  prove  effect- 
ive, the  guns  were  run  out  and  a  shower  of  grape  and 
canister  was  poured  into  the  approaching  boats,  and  the 
yells  from  the  astonished  freebooters  showed  that  the  battery 
had  told  with  effect.  The  fire  checked  the  advancing  barges 
for  a  short  time,  when  they  again  attempted  to  board,  but 
were  repelled  with  great  slaughter.  The  enemy  altered 
their  tactics,  several  times  trying  to  board  the  vessel  over 
the  stern,  then  over  the  bow ;  while  some  of  the  boats 
kept  up  a  fire  from  their  swivels ;  but  their  efforts  availed 
them  nothing,  for  so  well  was  the  Experiment  defended 
that  the  Picaroons  never  even  succeeded  in  getting  along- 
side. The  crew  of  the  Experiment  were  kept  close  under 
the  bulwarks,  so  as  not  to  expose  themselves  to  the  Pica- 
roon's fire ;  but  Lieut.  Porter,  who  had  necessarily  to  pre- 
sent a  good  mark  for, the  enemy's  fire,  while  attending  to 
the  various  duties  of  the  vessel,  was  struck  in  the  shoulder 
by  a  musket  ball,  inflicting  a  painful  wound,  notwithstand- 
ing which  he  never  left  his  post. 

For  seven  hours  this  unequal  contest  continued,  and 
there  is  no  telling  what  would  have  been  the  result,  had  it 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  31 

remained  calm  much  longer.  The  Picaroons,  every  now 
and  then,  repaired  to  the  shore  to  leave  their  killed  and 
wounded,  and  obtain  reinforcements,  but  at  length,  find- 
ing the  Experiment  so  fiercely  defended,  they  gave  up  the 
attack,  having  lost  two  of  their  barges,  sunk  by  the 
schooner's  fire,  and  many  of  their  men  killed  and  wounded. 
On  board  the  Experiment,  there  were  but  two  men 
wounded,  one  of  them  Lieut.  Porter.  Circumstances, 
which  have  come  to  my  knowledge,  satisfy  me  that  the 
entire  management  of  this  gallant  affair  devolved  on  Lieut. 
Porter,  who  never,  for  a  moment,  thought  of  surrrender- 
ing ;  and  the  officers  and  crew,  animated  by  his  example, 
displayed  the  greatest  bravery  against  what  would  seem  to 
have  been  overwhelming  odds.  At  one  time,  matters 
looked  very  serious  on  board  the  Experiment,  not  so 
much  from  any  damage  received  from  the  Picaroons,  as 
from  the  fear  of  heavy  reinforcements,  who  might  be 
attracted  by  the  firing ;  and  could  these  freebooters  have 
managed  to  surround  the  vessel  with  a  large  number  of 
boats,  it  might  have  been  impossible  to  prevent  them  from 
getting  on  board.  Two  of  the  convoy  were  seized  and 
plundered  by  these  people,  and  another  vessel  was  boarded 
and  her  captain  killed;  but,  being  within  reach  of  the 
Experiment's  guns,  the  pirates  were  soon  driven  ofi:';  and 
a  fresh  breeze  springing  up,  the  Experiment  and  her  con- 
voy went  on  their  way  rejoicing. 

This  little  afiair  was  a  good  deal  discussed,  at  the  time, 
among  the  officers  and  crews  of  our  West  India  squadron, 
and  Lieut.  Porter  was  unanimously  applauded,  for  the 
determined  stand  he  took  against  the  weakness  of  his 
commanding  officer.  This  case  shows  the  necessity  of 
firmness  in  time  of  danger;  and  of  not  yielding  until 
forced  by  superior  numbers  to  do  so.  Many  a  timid  man 
has  yielded  to  an  imaginary  superiority,  when  even  a  show 
of  resolution  would  have  given  him  the  victory.  'Eo  com- 
mander has  any  right  to  surrender  his  ship  when  his 
officers  and  crew  demand  the  right  to  defend  her ;  and  no 
government  will  ever  consider  the  protests  of  officers, 
under  such  circumstances,  as  insubordination.  1:^0  one 
man  has  the  right  to  disgrace  a  ship's  company,  by  sur- 
rendering (without  striking  a  blow)  against  the  judgment 


32  Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter. 

of  all  hands.  Perhaps  this  doctrine  may  not  be  in  accord- 
ance with  strict  naval  discipline,  but  I  will  venture  to  say  it 
will  be  approved  by  all  brave  men,  in  or  out  of  the  navy. 
Had  Lieut.  Porter  been  unsuccessful,  he  would  not  have 
been  condemned.  Brave  men  must  take  risks ;  and  the 
timid  rarely  attain  to  high  places. 

In  spite  of  his  conduct,  the  captain  of  the  Experiment 
received  no  official  censure;  but  was  allowed,  by  his 
officers,  to  retain  the  credit  of  having  commanded  his  ship 
during  this  gallant  affair,  and  it  is  in  this  light  that  he 
appears  in  the  published  history  of  the  time. 

One  of  the  officers  of  the  Experiment,  Joshua  Blake, 
writing  to  Commodore  Porter  nearly  forty  years  after  the 
affair,  uses  this  language :  "At  that  time,  and  ever  since, 
I  considered  the  safety  of  the  vessel  and  the  honor  of  the 
flag  mainly  to  have  depended  on  yourself,  and  that  our 
situation  would  have  been  desperate  indeed,  had  you  been 
so  disabled  as  to  have  been  off  duty." 

Shortly  after  the  affair  of  Leogane,  Lieutenant  Charles 
Stewart  was  ordered  to  command  the  Experiment.  This 
was  the  same  Old  Ironsides^  who  afterwards  commanded 
the  Constitution  ;  and  the  officers  and  crew  of  the  Experi- 
ment were  much  pleased  with  the  idea  of  having  for  their 
commander  an  officer,  who  already  gave  promise  of  the 
high  reputation  which  he  afterwards  acquired.  Lieut.  Por- 
ter continued  as  first  lieutenant  of  the  Experiment  under 
Stewart,  which  was  a  very  gratifying  arrangement  to  both 
of  them ;  and  here  commenced  a  friendship,  between  these 
officers,  which  lasted  while  they  lived ;  such  a  friendship 
as  can  only  exist  between  brave  men,  uninfluenced  by 
pitiful  jealousies. 

Though  the  Experiment  had  not  been  long  in  commis- 
sion, her  discipline  and  appearance  was  equal  to  that  of 
any  vessel  in  the  fleet ;  and  was  such  as  to  occasion  Lieut. 
Commandant  Stewart  much  gratification  when  he  took 
command. 

It  is  seldom  that  we  find  two  such  officers  as  Stewart 
and  Porter  occupying  the  positions  of  captain  and  first 
lieutenant  on  board  the  same  vessel ;  and  seldom,  under 
such  circumstances,  does  harmony  prevail,  for  enthusiastic 
spirits  are  apt  to  differ,  and  cling  with  tenacity  to  their 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  33 

own  opinions.  In  this  case,  there  was  a  mutual  regard  for 
the  fine  qualities  possessed  by  each,  which  no  time  or  cir- 
cumstances could  ever  dim. 

Not  long  after  Stewart  joined  the  Experiment,  he  had 
an  opportunity  to  test  his  crew,  and  to  judge  how  far  they 
deserved  credit  for  the  high  state  of  efficiency  claimed  for 
them,  under  the  management  of  Lieut.  Porter.  It  must 
be  remembered,  that  the  latter  was  yet  barely  twenty 
years  old,  and  had  been  only  three  years  in  the  naval 
service.  In  fact,  he  was  about  the  age  when  the  midship- 
men of  to-day  graduate  from  the  naval  academy ;  and  are 
then  generally  considered  too  young  to  be  entrusted  with 
much  responsibility.  Lieut.  Porter  had,  however,  been 
educated  in  a  severe  school  of  experience,  which  had  given 
him  such  a  knowledge  of  his  profession  as  few  men  of  his 
years  have  ever  possessed.  Such  was  the  effect  of  the  early 
training  of  that  day,  in  developing  qualities,  that  under 
present  circumstances  lie  dormant  until  many  years  later, 
and  we  are  convinced  that  the  present  system  of  "  cod- 
dling "  midshipmen  instead  of  making  them  rely  upon  their 
own  resources,  is  not  as  well  calculated  to  bring  out  the 
highest  qualities  of  an  officer,  as  the  method  pursued  in 
the  early  history  of  the  navy.  Under  such  instructors  as 
Truxton,  Talbot  and  Preble,  the  navy  produced  a  rare  set 
of  officers ;  for  in  those  days,  midshipmen  devoted  their 
whole  time  to  their  profession,  urged  on  by  the  strict  dis- 
cipline which  reigned  in  the  navy.  The  influence  of  the 
older  officers  prevailed  over  every  thing  with  which  they 
came  in  contact ;  and  the  result  was,  a  corps  of  young  men 
who  had  not  their  equals  in  any  navy  in  the  world. 

Soon  after  assuming  command  of  the  Experiment, 
Lieut.  Com.  Stewart,  cruising  on  his  station,  fell  in  with 
the  privateer  Deux  Amis,  mounting  eight  guns  and  carry- 
ing forty  men.  This  vessel  had  created  great  havoc 
among  our  merchant  vessels  ;  and  she  was  waiting  in  the 
track  of  commerce  to  pounce  upon  ■  fresh  prey,  when  the 
Experiment  hove  in  sight.  The  Frenchman,  evidently 
mistaking  the  schooner  for  a  merchant  vessel,  waited  for 
her  to  come  quite  near,  and  then  made  sail  to  attack ;  but 
the  moment  she  came  within  range  of  the  Experiment's 
guns,  Lieut.  Com.  Stewart  opened  his  battery  so  effect- 
5 


34  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

ivelj,  that  after  a  short  resistance,  the  privateer  surrend- 
ered ;  and  everybody  astonished  that  the  encounter  should 
terminate  so  quickly.  Lieut.  Porter,  with  a  boat  and  four 
men,  took  possession  of  the  prize,  with  orders  to  follow 
the  Experiment,  which  made  sail  in  chase  of  the  Diana, 
another  armed  vessel  that  had  hove  in  sight.  Thus,  for 
the  second  time,  Lieut.  Porter  found  himself  on  the  deck 
of  an  enemy's  vessel,  with  ten  times  the  number  of  his 
own  men  around  him ;  and  having  to  depend  entirely 
upon  his  own  resources,  and  the  courage  of  the  few  per- 
sons he  had  under  his  command.  The  moment  the  Ex- 
periment made  sail  away  from  the  prize,  the  prisoners 
began  to  evince  a  spirit  of  insubordination ;  and  were  evi- 
dently getting  ready  to  recapture  their  vessel;  but  the 
lieutenant  immediately  secured  all  the  arms  and  ordered 
the  crew  forward,  with  the  assurance  that  he  would  shoot 
any  man  who  dared  to  cross  a  prescribed  line.  He  then 
loaded  one  of  the  small  guns  with  canister,  pointed  it  for- 
ward, and  stationed  one  of  his  men  with  a  lighted  match 
over  it.  For  three  nights  and  nearly  four  days,  did  the 
Americans  remain  in  their  embarrassing  and  dangerous 
position,  having  to  guard  ten  times  their  own  number  and 
manage  the  vessel  at  the  same  time ;  but  finally,  Lieut. 
Porter  succeeded  in  getting  the  prize  into  the  same  port 
of  St.  Kitts,  where  Lieut.  Rodgers  and  himself  had  brought 
the  frigate  L'Insurgente  under  very  similar  circumstances. 

The  conduct  of  Mr.  Porter,  upon  this  occasion,  increased 
the  already  high  opinion  of  his  commanding  officer;  and 
Stewart  now  gave  him  his  entire  confidence,  which  was 
never  afterwards  impaired  during  their  future  service  to- 
gether. The  prize  was  sent  to  the  United  States,  and 
yielded  a  good  harvest  of  prize  money  to  the  officers  and 
crew  of  the  Experiment. 

About  a  month  after  the  foregoing  occurrences,  while 
the  Experiment  was  cruising  on  her  station,  two  sail  hav- 
ing the  appearance  of  French  cruisers  were  made  out. 
They  proved  to  be  a  brig  of  18  guns,  and  a  three  masted 
schooner  of  14  guns ;  each  vessel  superior  to  the  Experi- 
ment. Lieut.  Com.  Stewart  having  soon  satisfied  himself 
that  his  own  vessel  could  outsail  the  enemy,  manoeuvred 
in  a  way  to  separate  the  two  vessels,  and  to  keep  them  at 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  35 

a  distance  until  after  dark.  At  length,  perceiving  that 
the  Frenchman  had  apparently  given  up  the  chase,  and 
that  the  brig  was  three  or  four  miles  ahead  of  the  schooner, 
he  cleared  his  ship  for  action ;  and  putting  the  helm  up 
ran  down  and  closed  with  the  French  schooner,  by  run- 
ning on  her  weather  quarter  and  pouring  in  a  broadside. 
The  attack  was  so  vigorous,  and  at  such  close  quarters, 
that  every  shot  told  with  dreadful  effect,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  the  Frenchman  surrendered.  Throwing  his  first 
lieutenant  (Mr.  Porter)  into  the  prize,  Lieut.  Com.  Stewart 
made  sail  after  the  brig ;  but  she  had  gained  so  much 
headway,  while  the  fight  with  her  consort  was  progress- 
ing, that  Stewart  soon  lost  sight  of  her  altogether,  and  had 
to  give  up  tlie  chase.  The  Experiment  then  returned  to 
her  prize,  which  she  carried  safely  into  the  port  of  St. 
Kitts,  which  would  appear  to  have  been  the  general  rendez- 
vous at  that  time.  The  captured  vessel  was  the  schooner 
of  war  Diane,  of  14  guns  and  sixty  men ;  she  was  bound 
to  France,  and  in  addition  to  her  ship's  company,  had  on 
board  a  French  general  and  thirty  invalid  soldiers.  Her 
commanding  officer  had  been  first  lieutenant  of  the  Insur- 
gente,  when  captured  by  the  Constellation,  and  he  seemed 
fated  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Americans. 

A  short  time  after  this  action,  while  the  Enterprise  was 
cruising  on  her  station,  a  suspicious  looking  sail  was  de- 
scried beating  up  towards  the  schooner;  but  orders  being 
given  to  chase,  the  stranger  made  off".  She  was  followed 
until  dusk  when  she  disappeared  and  no  hope  of  seeing  her 
again  was  entertained,  as  it  was  supposed  she  would  double 
on  the  Enterprise  during  the  night  and  escape.  Still  the 
schooner  kept  on  her  course  till  midnight,  when  she  tacked 
and  shortly  afterwards  the  strange  sail  was  discovered  at  a 
little  distance  to  windward.  The  Experiment  went  to 
quarters  and  running  close  under  the  stranger's  lee,  Lieut. 
Com.  Stewart  hailed  him,  and  no  reply  being  given,  ordered 
a  gun  to  be  fired  at  the  supposed  enemy  which  was  re- 
turned with  a  broadside.  The  Experiment  now  opened 
fire  with  all  her  guns,  and  began  to  close  with  the  stranger, 
intending  to  carry  the  latter  by  boarding.  It  was  blowing 
quite  fresh  at  the  time,  and  the  Experiment  being  very 
light,  owing  to  a  short  supply  of  provisions  in  the  hold,  laid 


86  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

over  so  much  on  her  side  as  to  be  unable  to  depress  her 
guns  sufficiently  to  strike  the  supposed  enemy's  hull ;  and 
all  her  shot  was  expended  among  the  rigging.  But  this 
difficulty  was  soon  remedied,  and  the  resources  of  the 
trained  seamen  made  manifest;  planks  were  cut  and 
placed  under  the  trucks,  which  expedient  made  it  possible 
to  depress  the  Experiment's  guns  sufficiently,  and  the  fire 
told  with  so  much  effect  that  in  a  few  minutes  the  stranger 
struck  her  colors.  Lieut.  Porter  was  immediately  sent  to 
take  possession,  but  on  going  alongside  the  strange  vessel 
he  was  hailed  and  told  to  keep  off",  or  he  would  be  fired  at. 
The  boat  was  then  moved  out  of  the  line  of  fire  and  the 
Experiment  was  about  to  recommence  the  action,  when 
the  stranger  hailed  again  to  say  that  he  submitted.  This 
vessel  proved  to  be  a  privateer  out  of  Bermuda  with  an  ar- 
mament of  eight  guns,  and  a  crew  of  forty  men :  she  was 
much  cut  up,  and  had  four  feet  of  water  in  her  hold.  As 
soon  as  Lieut.  Com.  Stewart  learned  of  his  unfortunate 
mistake,  he  rendered  all  the  aid  in  his  power  to  the  pri- 
vateer, and  the  Experiment  laid  by  her  all  the  next  day  to 
assist  in  repairing  damages.  The  Experiment  had  one  man 
killed  and  suffered  a  good  deal  of  injury  in  her  rigging. 

This  action  showed  the  superiority  of  the  Experiment's 
fire ;  and  it  will  be  observed  that  in  all  the  fights  in  which 
this  vessel  was  engaged  the  battle  was  finished  in  a  short 
time.  The  vessels  captured  by  the  schooner  were  not,  it 
is  true,  ships  of  war,  except  in  the  case  of  the  Diane,  which 
was  a  superior  vessel  to  the  Experiment  in  guns  and  men, 
if  we  include  the  thirty  soldiers  on  board ;  and  when  we 
consider  the  rapid  manner  in  which  that  contest  was 
brought  to  a  close,  we  cannot  but  admire  the  precision  of 
the  Experiment's  fire.  Up  to  this  time,  the  Experiment 
had  given  an  excellent  account  of  herself,  and  the  reputa- 
tion of  her  commander  and  first  lieutenant  stood  high  ;  a 
compliment  not  to  be  despised  when  so  many  gallant 
fellows  were  vieing  in  a  noble  zeal  for  their  country's 
service. 

In  the  whole  squadron  only  one  vessel,  the  lucky  Enter- 
prise, Commander  Shaw,  took  the  lead  of  the  Experiment 
in  gallant  actions,  and  her  career  was  so  wonderfully  bril- 
liant,  that  the   recital   seems   at  this  day  almost   like  a 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  37 

romance.  In  short  the  Enterprise  was  the  most  fortunate 
vessel  ever  known  in  the  United  States  navy. 

At  the  time  of  which  we  are  writing,  the  only  means  of 
communication  between  the  vessels  of  the  squadron  and 
the  United  States,  were  the  prizes  which  conveyed  the 
news  of  their  own  capture  ;  and  after  the  meagre  particu- 
lars were  slowly  printed  in  the  few  newspapers  which  then 
existed  along  the  seaboard ;  it  was  often  weeks  before  the 
intelligence  was  transmitted  by  lumbering  mail  coaches  or 
slow  post  riders  to  distant  parts  of  the  country.  The  old 
farmer  receiving  his  weekly  paper  would  read  of  the  doings 
of  our  navy  with  astonishment ;  and  no  wonder  that  he 
considered  it  the  greatest  in  the  world  and  a  match  for 
Great  Britain  and  France  combined. 

The  United  States  government  that  had  entered  upon 
the  war  with  France  with  many  doubts  and  misgivings, 
was  rejoiced  at  the  reputation  the  navy  was  acquiring  for  the 
country,  and  the  manner  in  which  the  wisdom  of  the  declara- 
tion of  hostilities  had  been  vindicated.  Mr.  Jefferson  and  the 
republican  or  anti-federalist  party  had,  from  the  beginning, 
opposed  the  war  against  our  former  allies  ;  predicting  the 
worst  results,  and  reproaching  the  administration  party 
with  a  fondness  for  extravagant  naval  and  military  estab- 
lishments. However,  after  this  war  had  closed,  the  officers 
and  men  who  had  served  in  the  navy  were  the  most  popu- 
lar people  in  the  country;  but  the  opposition  no  sooner 
came  into  power,  than,  unmindful  of  what  the  navy  had 
done  to  show  the  world  that  the  United  States  would  not 
submit  to  insult  or  aggression,  from  any  quarter,  it  began 
to  pull  the  navy  to  pieces  as  fast  as  the  other  party  had 
attempted  to  build  it  up.  In  fact  the  state  of  things  was 
pretty  much  what  exists  to-day,  only  on  a  smaller  scale. 
Congress,  then,  as  now,  seemed  to  be  uncertain  whether 
our  experimental  republic  would  succeed,  and  to  this  day, 
the  legislative  branch  of  the  government  has  sometimes 
shown  itself  deficient  in  that  wisdom  which  encourages 
liberal  expenditures  in  order  to  maintain  efficiency  and 
true  economy.  Had  the  United  States,  in  the  first  instance, 
after  securing  their  independence,  shown  the  world  that 
they  were  determined  to  hold  the  position  which  nature 
evidently  intended  they  should  occupy,  they  would  never 


88  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

have  been  involved  in  that  expensive  struggle  with  France 
at  the  outset  of  their  career,  l^o  doubt  in  the  future  his- 
tory of  our  country,  difficulties  with  foreign  nations  will 
be  again  precipitated  upon  us,  by  that  false  economy  which 
has  marked  the  nation's  course  in  so  many  respects,  par- 
ticularly in  regard  to  the  navy. 

After  the  events  we  have  recited,  Lieut.  Porter  was 
detached  from  the  Experiment,  and  ordered  as  second  lieu- 
tenant to  the  frigate  Constitution,  the  flag  ship  of  Commo- 
dore Talbot  who  commanded  the  squadron.  When  Porter 
joined  the  Constitution  he  was  suffering  from  the  wound 
received  in  the  fight  of  Leogane  in  the  contest  with  the 
Picaroons ;  but  we  do  not  find  that  the  impaired  condition 
of  his  health  interfered  at  all  with  his  efficiency.  A  short 
time  after  he  joined  the  Constitution,  the  commodore  gave 
him  a  command,  an  account  of  which  will  be  found  in  the 
following  extract  of  a  letter  from  Isaac  Hull,  the  first  lieu- 
tenant of  the  Constitution,  who  afterwards,  in  command 
of  that  vessel,  obtained  a  glorious  victory  over  the  British 
frigate  Guerriere. 

Lieut.  Hull  says:  "Soon  after  you  joined  the  Constitu- 
tion, Commodore  Talbot  gave  you  command  of  the  Amphi- 
trite,  a  small  Baltimore  built  schooner,  that  had  been  made 
prize  of  by  the  Experiment  when  you  were  first  lieutenant  of 
that  vessel.  While  we  were  fitting  this  vessel  and  putting 
her  guns  on  board  (which  were  small  brass  howitzers,  taken 
from  the  tops  of  the  Constitution),  we  discovered  some 
barges  in  shore,  inside  a  reef  of  rocks,  where  they  were 
discharging  an  American  vessel  they  had  made  prize  of. 
You  were  ordered  to  stand  in  with  the  schooner  and 
bring  them  out.  ISTot  a  moment  was  lost,  you  instantly 
left  the  ship,  stood  in  boldly  and  brought  the  barges  to 
action.  As  they  considered  their  force  superior  to  yours, 
they  did  not  wish  to  abandon  the  prize,  but  in  a  very  short 
time  you  captured  and  brought  off'  the  largest  barge,  and 
prize  brig,  and,  no  doubt,  you  would  have  taken  the  other 
had  you  not  been  prevented  from  pursuing  her  by  your 
vessel's  grounding  on  the  reef,  and  thumping  her  rudder 
off".  All  this  was  done  in  a  very  short  time,  and  in  very 
gallant  style,  and  met  the  entire  approbation  of  Commo- 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  89 

dore  Talbot ;  as  did  every  act  of  yours  while  you  were 
under  his  command." 

This  letter  was  drawn  forth  from  Commodore  Hull  in 
1838,  in  consequence  of  an  application  to  him  to  state 
whether  he  considered  Porter  entitled  to  a  pension,  and  the 
result  of  several  such  communications  from  distinguished 
officers  in  his  favor  finally  procured  for  Porter  the  magnifi- 
cent sum  of  ten  dollars  per  month,  that  being  the  amount 
(for  half  disability  pension),  at  which  the  law  estimated 
the  value  of  one  arm  disabled,  a  bullet  through  each  thigh 
and  a  shattered  constitution.  And  here  we  cannot  help 
digressing,  to  show  the  difierent  manner  in  which  such 
things  are  estimated  in  the  British  navy.  When  E'elson 
lost  his  arm  the  law  allowed  him  to  go  straight  to  the  pen- 
sion office  and  receive  his  smart  money,  amounting  to 
some  hundreds  of  pounds  sterling ;  when  he  afterwards 
was  wounded  and  went  as  before  to  draw  the  amount  due 
for  disability  it  was  promptly  forthcoming,  being  again 
some  hundreds  of  pounds,  the  pension  agent  saying 
pleasantly,  ^^  I  hope  soon  to  see  you  minus  a  leg  which 
will  give  you  a  good  round  sum."  "I  hope  so  too,"  said 
ISTelson,  "as  it  is  very  pleasant  to  receive  these  little  re- 
minders." With  us  an  officer  would  have  to  work  hard 
to  get  his  ten  dollars  a  month,  as  was  the  case  with  Porter 
in  1838.  It  cost  him  as  much  to  get  his  allowance  as  it 
was  intrinsically  worth. 

On  the  third  of  February  1801,  a  treaty  of  peace  between 
France  and  the  United  States  was  signed,  thus  ending  the 
struggle  which  laid  the  foundation  of  a  navy  destined,  after- 
wards, to  make  itself  so  famous.  Looking  at  this  quasi- 
French  war,  from  any  point  of  view,  the  successes  of 
our  countrymen,  upon  the  ocean,  will  appear  remarkable. 
The  war  was  not,  as  is  popularly  supposed,  a  mere  brush 
between  the  two  nations  lasting  a  few  weeks,  and  marked 
by  the  interchange  of  two  or  three  broadsides;  for  the  fact 
that  war  against  France  was  not  formally  declared  by  con- 
gress did  not  make  the  struggle  less  earnest.  Both  parties 
went  to  work  resolutely,  the  French,  from  their  superior 
force,  considering  it  presumption  in  her  former  ally  try- 
ing to  contend  with  her,  and  the  Americans  indignant  at 
the  treatment  received  from  a  nation  that  should  have 


40  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

acted  their  friend  to  the  last.  In  this  war  the  Americans 
displayed  an  intuitive  knowledge  of  naval  affairs  which 
showed  them  to  he  worthy  descendants  of  the  "  Mistress 
of  the  seas. "  We  had  really  no  right  to  expect  such  suc- 
cesses as  crowned  our  arms ;  and  it  was  natural  that  our 
officers  and  men  should  have  been  somewhat  elated  with 
their  exploits,  and  the  nation  proud  of  its  navy.  The  com- 
parative ease  with  which  we  had  gained  successes  over  the 
French  gave  the  officers  of  our  navy  rather  a  poor  opinion 
of  Gallic  prowess  on  the  ocean.  They  did  not,  however, 
relax  their  own  discipline  because  that  of  their  enemies 
was  not  good ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  they  exerted  them- 
selves, still  more,  to  improve  the  condition  of  their  fleet, 
so  that  they  should  lose  none  of  the  advantages  already 
gained.  It  w^as  the  ambition  of  our  officers  to  outstrip 
even  the  British  in  the  perfection  of  discipline,  for  many 
of  them  saw,  in  the  future,  a  strong  probability  of  war 
between  the  United  States  and  England ;  and  many  who 
had  received  slights  from  the  English  officers,  even  hoped 
the  time  would  come  when  they  could  try  their  youthful 
skill  on  their  more  experienced  rivals. 

With  the  incoming  of  Jefferson's  administration,  con- 
gress decided  that  most  of  the  ships  should  be  sold  or  laid 
up ;  and  the  hope  of  seeing  a  respectable  navy  that  would 
grow  up  with  the  country  was  abandoned.  When  the 
ships  were  sold,  many  meritorious  officers  were  discharged 
from  service,  but  Lieut.  Porter  was  fortunate  enough  to 
be  retained ;  the  reputation  he  had  gained,  during  his  short 
service,  having  brought  him  prominently  to  the  notice  of 
the  government. 

In  the  desire  of  the  Anierican  people  to  ignore  all 
the  precedents,  established  by  the  monarchial  govern- 
ments of  Europe,  and  even  to  avoid  the  semblance  of 
imitating  their  institutions,  they  tried  to  maintain  a  strictly 
civil  form  of  government  in  all  departments,  irrespective 
of  their  requirements.  In  addition  to  the  influence  of  this 
sentiment,  was  the  misfortune  to  the  navy  of  having  the 
president  opposed  to  all  military  establishments,  and  in 
consequence  a  system  was  adopted  not  at  all  suited  to  a 
branch  like  the  naval  service.  Had  it  been  otherwise,  the 
navy  would  probably  have  started  upon  its  journey  under 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  41 

very  much  better  auspices.  As  it  was,  a  civilian  was 
placed  at  the  head  of  the  navy  department  who  had  no 
knowledge  whatever  of  naval  affairs,  and  without  a  single 
naval  assistant  to  advise  with  him  on  matters  purely  pro- 
fessional. l!^o  civilian  can  by  any  accident  be  familiar 
with  all  the  details  of  a  naval  organization,  no  matter  what 
his  opportunities  have  been,  the  experience  of  three  quar- 
ters of  a  century  has  demonstrated  this. 

The  policy  of  Jefferson's  administration  was  diametric- 
ally opposed  to  that  of  John  Adams,  owing  to  the  extreme 
political  feeling  which  then  prevailed.  Mr.  Jefferson  was 
strongly  in  favor  of  reducing  the  navy  to  a  very  small 
figure;  and  so  much  opposed  had  he  been  to  hostilities 
against  France,  that  he  seemed  now  to  be  anxious  to 
remove  from  the  minds  of  the  French  people  every  un- 
pleasant feeling,  and  to  destroy  the  navy  which  had  humili- 
ated them  before  the  world.  So,  although  congress  had 
authorized  a  naval  peace  establishment  of  moderate  dimen- 
sions, the  discretionary  power  allowed  the  president  enabled 
him  to  reduce  it  to  a  low  condition,  and  finally,  to  cripple 
it  altogether,  by  the  introduction  of  the  gun-boat  system. 
At  this  epoch,  the  navies  of  Europe  were  administered  by 
naval  men,  of  whom,  the  best  were  selected  as  ministers 
of  marine ;  and  a  system  of  bureaus  prevailed  under  the 
supervision  of  professional  experts,  pretty  much  the  same 
that  obtains  at  present.  At  that  time,  so  perfect  a  system 
was  maintained  in  France  and  England,  that,  notwith- 
standing their  gigantic  naval  establishments,  great  economy 
was  practiced.  It  was  their  naval  organization  that  made 
them  powerful,  and  no  country  ever  yet  arrived  at  a  respect- 
able condition  in  this  respect  until  they  adopted  a  purely 
naval  administration  in  the  management  of  their  fleets. 

Since  the  days  of  Jefferson,  our  navy  department  has, 
with  brief  exceptions,  been  conducted  in  the  most  hap- 
hazard style ;  and  there  has  frequently  been  an  immense 
deal  of  extravagance  committed  under  the  plea  of  economy, 
whenever  it  has  been  suddenly  necessary  to  equip  a  fleet 
for  some  emergency,  or  to  lay  one  up  after  the  emergency 
had  passed.  Had  we  in  1801,  formed  a  proper  naval  peace 
establishment  with  one  of  the  distinguished  ofiicers  of  the 
French  war  at  its  head,  and  had  this  system  been  continued 
6 


42  Memoik  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

to  the  present  day,  witli  such  modifications  as  time  and 
circumstances  required,  we  should  have  had  at  this  moment 
a  navy  second  to  none.  Since  1798  we  have  spent  on  our 
navy  one  billion,  four  hundred  millions  of  dollars,  and  yet 
have  comparatively  nothing  at  the  present  moment  to  show 
for  this  immense  outlay. 

A  political  disquisition  may  seem  out  of  place  in  a  work 
of  this  kind ;  but  we  can  hardly  avoid  it  when  glancing  at 
the  history  of  the  past,  and  reflecting  what  magnificent 
opportunities  have  been  neglected  to  build  up  a  navy,  ade- 
quate to  the  wants  of  the  country ;  for,  even  if  we  had  no 
commerce,  we  must  always  depend  upon  a  navy  to  defend 
our  coasts. 

It  is  a  fact  that  our  national  legislators  have  displayed  a 
very  creditable  liberality  towards  the  navy,  especially 
within  the  last  twenty-five  years ;  but  they  have  committed 
one  grave  error,  in  not  keeping  all  the  departments  of  the 
navy  outside  the  arena  of  politics,  by  the  enactment  of  ^ 
such  laws  as  would  assure  the  proper  disposition  of  the 
money  appropriated  for  its  support.  The  politicians  who 
have  taken  the  most  interest  in  getting  naval  appropria- 
tions through,  have  never  desired  to  see  naval  officers 
holding  positions  independent  of  their  control,  and  intro- 
ducing systems  of  economy  and  responsibility  which  would 
naturally  tend  to  lessen  political  patronage.  The  navy, 
instead  of  being  considered  a  branch  of  the  government 
never  to  be  diverted  from  its  legitimate  purposes,  has  been 
looked  upon  as  a  necessary  aid  to  the  party  in  power ;  and, 
it  is  to  be  feared,  that  the  liberality  extended  to  it,  has 
been  due  to  that  fact,  rather  than  to  any  other  circum- 
stance. The  naval  patronage  has  become  a  stepping  stone, 
to  enable  a  few  men  to  attain  power  without  regard  to 
the  great  injury  inflicted  upon,  what  must  be,  the  chief 
bulwark  of  the  nation  against  foreign  aggression.  To 
these  causes  is  chiefly  due  the  slow  growth  of  our  navy ; 
the  liberal  appropriations,  made  by  congress,  being  too 
often  diverted  to  subserve  political  interests.  Whatever 
may  be  done  in  other  directions,  such  a  system  should  be 
strictly  excluded  from  the  navy,  or  the  consequences  will 
be  severely  felt ;  especially  should  a  war  break  out  with 
any  European  power. 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 


43 


The  system  of  naval  administration,  from  1801  to  1812, 
was  a  great  hindrance  to  our  commanders  in  the  last  war 
with  Grreat  Britain,  and  the  system  practiced  during  several 
wars  has  cost  the  United  States  government  many  extra 
millions. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


As  we  have  once  before  remarked,  it  would  be  out  of 
the  question  to  write  a  memoir  of  Commodore  Porter 
without  entering  into  the  causes  and  consequences  of  the 
naval  movements  in  which  he  to  a  greater  or  less  degree 
participated,  although  these  matters  may  be  already  fa- 
miliar to  many  of  our  readers  who  have  interested  them- 
selves in  the  his1;pry  of  those  times.  At  the  close  of  the 
French  war,  a  law  of  congress  decreed  a  small  peace  estab- 
lishment for  the  navy,  to  form  a  basis  on  which  to  expand, 
should  the  necessity  arise  for  an  increase  of  force.  Four- 
teen vessels  were  accordingly  retained,  viz  : 


Gnna. 

Guns 

Constitution,  . 

44. 

N'ew  York,     . 

36. 

United  States, 

44. 

Essex,    .     .     . 

32. 

President,  .     . 

44. 

General  Greene, 

28. 

Congress,   .     . 

38. 

Boston,  .    .     . 

28. 

Constellation, 

38. 

Adams,       .     . 

.     28. 

Chesapeake,    . 

38, 

John  Adams, 

28. 

Philadelphia, 

38. 

Enterprise, 

12. 

Many  of  the  vessels  bore  prominent  parts  in  the  history 
of  the  country,  and  some  of  them  are  in  the  navy  at  the 
present  moment. 

Notwithstanding  the  great  popularity  which  the  navy 
had  obtained  in  consequence  of  its  brilliant  services  dur- 
ing the  French  war,  the  above  named  vessels  were  all  that 


44  Memoir  of  Commodoee  David  Porter. 

escaped  the  auctioneer's  hammer,  and  though  it  was  almost 
certain  that  we  should  soon  be  involved  in  a  war  with  the 
Barbary  powers  if  we  refused  to  continue  paying  them 
disgraceful  tribute,  few  efforts  appear  to  have  been  made 
in  or  out  of  congress  to  prevent  the  sacrifice  of  vessels 
which  had  lately  performed  such  gallant  service  for  the 
country. 

Although  the  ocean  swarmed  with  privateers  the  com- 
merce of  the  United  States  did  not  diminish  during  the 
continuance  of  hostilities  with  France.  Our  merchantmen 
followed  their  avocations  as  usual,  only  taking  the  precau- 
tion to  go  to  sea  well  manned  and  armed.  Their  confi- 
dence, however,  may  be  attributed  to  the  exceeding 
vigilance  of  our  cruisers,  and  to  the  enemy's  caution  in 
approaching  an  American  vessel.  It  seems  hardly  credi- 
ble that  the  United  States,  after  going  to  war  with  her  best 
friend  (one  of  the  most  powerful  nations  of  the  world), 
should  in  the  flush  of  victory  consent  to  pay  tribute  in 
money,  ships  and  naval  material  to  Algiers,  Tripoli  and 
Tunis ;  but  such  was  the  case,  and  in  the  year  1800  the 
George  Washington,  Captain  Bainbridge,  was  sent  to 
Algiers  with  tribute  for  the  dey.  What  must  have  been 
the  feelings  of  the  gallant  Bainbridge,  who  after  fighting 
so  bravely  in  defense  of  his  country's  honor,  was  entrusted 
with  this  humiliating  duty.  But  naval  oflicers  must  obey 
their  orders,  no  matter  how  unpalatable  they  may  be.  Had 
our  government  left  more  to  their  discretion  in  dealing 
with  the  Barbary  powers  we  should  have  had  little  trouble 
with  those  freebooters.  Let  the  reader  imagine  what 
would  be  his  feelings,  at  this  day,  if  he  heard  that  congress 
had  made  an  appropriation  of  |100,000,  to  be  sent  out  in 
a  national  vessel,  by  way  of  bribing  the  dey  of  Algiers  not 
to  molest  our  merchant  ships  on  the  high  seas ;  yet  the 
men  who  did  this  thing  were  as.  patriotic  as  those  of  to  day 
if  not  more  so  ;  but  it  was  not  until  the  navy  had  taken  the 
initiative  against  these  piratical  governments,  and  taught 
them  to  respect  our  flag,  that  the  country  began  to  ques- 
tion the  propriety  of  paying  tribute  to  any  one.  The  only 
consolation,  in  this  humiliating  business,  is  to  be  found  in 
the  fact,  that  nearly  all  the  governments  of  Europe  paid 
tribute  to  the  Barbary  pirates ;  and  instructed  their  officers 


.  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  45 

to  maintain  friendly  relations  in  this  way.  This  seems  all 
the  more  strange,  as  most  of  these  powers  could,  in  a  week, 
have  hermetically  sealed  all  the  Barbary  ports. 

War  with  Tripoli  had  been  threatening  for  some  time, 
and  as  soon  as  peace  with  France  was  declared,  we  pre- 
pared to  send  a  small  squadron  to  the  Mediterranean.  In 
1800,  the  usurper  bashaw  of  Tripoli,  Yusef  Caramalli, 
showed  a  disposition  to  hostilities  with  the  United  States 
on  the  ground  that  we  had  not  treated  him  so  well  as  we 
had  the  bey  of  Tunis,  who  had  received  a  frigate,  while 
he  had  received  none ;  that  the  dey  of  Algiers  had  received 
a  higher  bribe  than  he  had  been  paid  to  refrain  from 
troubling  American  commerce.  So  this  mighty  potentate 
wrote  threatening  letters  to  the  president,  informing  the 
latter  that  his  performances  must  agree  with  his  promises, 
and  that  any  delay  would  be  very  prejudicial  to  American 
interests.  Imagine  a  barbarian  writing  such  letters,  now- 
a-days,  to  the  president  of  the  United  States.  In  spite  of 
all  our  caution  and  indisposition  for  any  more  war,  the 
government  found  that  the  time  had  arrived  for  action, 
and  the  idea  of  sending  a  squadron  was  to  avert  the  neces- 
sity of  hostilities.  But  before  the  ships  could  be  got  to  sea 
the  barbarian  bashaw,  tired  of  waiting  for  his  present  of  a 
frigate,  proceeded  to  cut  down  the  American  consular  flag- 
staff at  Tripoli,  which  was  at  once  in  his  opinion  the  great- 
est insult  he  could  offer,  and  a  declaration  of  war  against 
the  United  States. 

The  American  squadron  consisted  of  the  President  44, 
Capt.  James  Barron;  Philadelphia  38,  Capt.  S.  Barron; 
Essex  32,  Capt.  Bainbridge;  and  Enterprise  12,  Lieut. 
Com.  Sterrett,  all  under  command  of  Commodore  Dale, 
who  hoisted  his  broad  pendant  in  the  President.  Lieut. 
David  Porter  held  the  position  of  first  lieutenant  on 
board  the  Enterprise.  When  the  squadron  was  fitting 
out,  he  might  easily  have  obtained  the  position  of  first  or 
second  lieutenant  on  board  one  of  the  large  ships ;  but  ex- 
perience had  taught  him  that  the  best  chance  for  active 
service  and  promotion  was  to  be  found  in  a  small  vessel ; 
and  the  Enterprise  had  made  such  a  brilliant  record  under 
her  former  commander  (Shaw),  that  Porter  felt  proud  to 
be  on  board  of  her. 


46  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

In  sending  this  squadron  to  the  Mediterranean  our 
government  proceeded  with  great  caution.  It  seemed  to 
have  lost  sight  of  the  recent  successes  of  its  navj,  and  only 
required  the  officers  not  to  submit  to  exactions  except 
under  certain  circumstances ;  that  is,  if  the  Barbary 
powers  had  not  formally  declared  war,  Commodore  Dale  was 
to  pay  the  tribute,  which  was  carried  out  in  the  ships  to 
Algiers,  Tripoli  and  Tunis ;  but  if  war  had  been  declared 
by  those  powers,  the  commodore  was  ordered  to  act  against 
them,  but  was  particularly  directed  to  leave  the  Mediter- 
ranean by  the  first  of  December,  as  it  was  not  considered 
safe  to  cruise  there  in  winter.  Such  instructions  were  cer- 
tainly not  very  encouraging  to  a  high  spirited  officer  like 
Commodore  Dale,  the  ci-devant  lieutenant  of  Paul  Jones ; 
but  there  was  nothing  for  him  to  do  but  to  carry  out  his 
orders,  and  the  squadron  accordingly  sailed  for  Gibraltar, 
where  the  ships  came  to  anchor  on  the  first  of  July.  Here 
they  found  the  Tripolitan  admiral,  a  renegade  named 
Lisle,  in  command  of  a  ship  mounting  26,  and  a  brig 
mounting  16  guns.  ]^o  doubt  this  person  was  all  ready  to 
proceed  to  the  Atlantic  ocean,  for  the  purpose  of  captur- 
ing American  merchant  vessels,  but  the  timely  arrival  of 
the  squadron  prevented  such  a  movement.  The  commodore 
immediately  sent  all  his  vessels  to  cruise,  in  difierent  direc- 
tions, with  orders  to  protect  our  commerce  against  these 
freebooters,  in  case  they  should  get  out.  He  also  visited 
Tunis  and  Algiers  in  the  flag-ship,  and  had  the  satisfaction 
of  promoting  the  peace  by  his  presence.  It  may  be  that 
the  expected  arrival  of  the  George  Washington  with 
tribute,  contributed  to  the  peaceful  attitude  now  assumed 
by  the  Barbary  powers,  who  probably  wanted  to  get  all 
they  could  before  proceeding  to  hostilities. 

The  Enterprise  was  the  first  vessel  that  had  the  satisfac- 
tion of  humbling  the  pride  and  lowering  the  flag  of  these 
corsairs.  N"otwithstanding  the  Tripolitan  admiral  had 
assured  Commodore  Dale  that  no  war  existed  against  the 
United  States,  on  the  part  of  Tripoli,  on  the  first  of  Au- 
gust, 1801,  the  Enterprise  fell  in  with  a  polacre-rigged  vessel, 
near  the  island  of  Malta,  mounting  14  guns  (and  carrying 
Tripolitan  colors),  that  was  known  to  be  cruising  against 
our  commerce.     As  soon  as  the  colors  were  recognized, 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  47 

tlie  Enterprise  cleared  for  action,  and  ran  down  close  to 
the  enemy.  As  Lieut.  Com.  Sterrett  got  within  pistol 
shot  he  opened  his  batteries,  and  continued  for  three  hours 
to  pour  in  a  heavy  fire,  at  the  end  of  w^hich  time  the  Tri- 
politan  struck  his  colors.  The  polacre  was  superior  in 
every  respect  to  her  antagonist,  but  the  precision  of  the 
American's  fire  told  fearfully  upon  the  enemy  and  her 
crew,  while  the  beautiful  manner  in  which  the  Enterprise 
was  handled  (taking  whatever  position  she  chose  and  rak- 
ing her  enemy  several  times),  elicited  the  admiration  even 
of  the  corsairs.  There  are  no  braver  people  than  the 
Turks,  but  on  this  occasion  though  they  fought  desperately 
they  exhibited  very  little  skill.  The  corsair  lost  fifty  men 
in  killed  and  wounded,  and  the  ship  was  a  perfect  wreck, 
her  mizzen  mast  shot  away  and  her  yards  and  sails  cut  to 
pieces.  On  the  other  hand,  owing  to  the  skill  with  which 
the  Enterprise  was  handled  she  received  little  damage. 
Three  times  during  the  combat  did  the  Tripolitans  strike 
their  colors,  renewing  the  fight  again  when  they  thought 
they  saw  an  opportunity  of  redeeming  the  fortunes  of  the 
day;  till  at  length  Lieut.  Com.  Sterrett,  irritated  by  this 
treachery,  opened  fire,  with  a  determination  to  sink  his 
enemy ;  when  the  Tripolitans  threw  their  fiag  into  the  sea 
and  cried  out  for  quarter.  The  Tripolitan  proved  to  be 
the  Tripoli  commanded  by  Mahomet  Sous,  and  the  latter 
confessed  that  his  orders  from  the  bashaw  were,  to  cap- 
ture American  merchant  vessels. 

Captain  Sterrett  hardly  knew  what  to  do  with  his  prize 
now  that  she  had  fallen  into  his  hands.  His  instructions 
had  been  so  carefully  worded,  that  he  was  not  allowed  to 
carry  the  vessel  into  port  as  a  prize ;  so  after  beating  the 
pirate  vessel,  he  had  to  let  her  go  again,  to  prey  upon 
American  commerce  as  opportunity  oftered.  It  is  difficult 
to  ascertain,  at  this  late  day,  who  was  the  author  of  this 
miserable  policy ;  certainly  no  naval  officer  had  anything 
to  do  with  it,  and  it  will  be  noticed  how  difierent  was  the 
policy  pursued  towards  our  French  opponents.  At  length, 
after  consultation  with  his  officers,  Lieut.  Com.  Sterrett 
ordered  Lieut.  Porter  to  dismantle  the  prize,  which  order 
was  effectually  carried  out ;  all  her  armament,  powder  and 
shot  was  thrown  overboard,  and  to  use  a  nautical  expres- 


48  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

eion,  the  ship  was  "  stripped  to  a  girtline,"  having  left  but 
a  single  spar  and  sail  with  which  to  creep  into  port  as  best 
she  could.  The  captain,  Mahomet  Sous,  looked  very  woe- 
begone on  seeing  the  dilemma  in  which  he  was  placed,  and 
doubted  if  he  should  be  able  to  reach  port  at  all;  but 
fortunately  it  was  the  summer  season,  when  the  weather 
is  generally  good,  and  Lieut.  Com.  Sterrett,  after  doing 
what  humanity  required  for  the  wounded  Tripolitans,  and 
admonishing  Capt.  Mahomet  to  behave  himself  in  future, 
started  the  rover  on  his  homeward  voyage,  amid  the  jeers 
of  the  Yankee  tars,  whose  amusement  at  this  novel  pro- 
ceeding was  perhaps  not  unmingled  with  disgust  at  the 
loss  of  their  prize  money.  The  rage  of  the  bashaw  may 
be  imagined,  when  his  vessel  finally  managed  to  reach 
Tripoli,  and  instead  of  a  ship  loaded  with  plunder  he  had 
only  an  empty  hulk  with  a  disgraced  captain  and  crew. 

The  stupid  brutality  of  those  Barbary  despots,  seventy- 
five  years  ago,  is  almost  incredible.  They  had  been  ac- 
customed to  prey  upon  the  commerce  of  nations  of  ten 
times  their  own  strength,  and  the  idea  of  a  small  power  (as 
they  considered  the  United  States),  daring  to  resist  one  of 
their  cruisers  and  then  send  her  into  port  in  such  a  pitiable 
plight,  was  more  than  Turkish  temper  could  endure.  The 
effect  of  sending  the  vessel  home  turned  out  to  be  better  than 
keeping  her  as  a  prize,  for  the  whole  Tripolitan  community 
had  a  chance  to  satisfy  themselves  that  the  Christian  dogs 
had  indeed  defeated  a  Tripolitan  ship  of  war ;  and  the  crew 
of  the  corsair  could  tell  them  how  the  Giaours  were 
obliged  to  fire  enchanted  shot  before  they  could  overcome 
the  followers  of  the  prophet.  All  the  excuses  of  Captain 
Mahomet  Sous,  however,  went  for  nothing  in  the  estima- 
tion of  his  master,  the  bashaw,  and  although  he  showed 
his  wounds,  and  told  how  desperately  he  had  fought  a 
formidable  vessel  with  a  great  number  of  guns,  yet  the 
despot  would  not  listen  to  his  appeal  for  mercy.  He  had 
the  unfortunate  captain  paraded  through  the  streets  of  the 
city  tied  to  a  jackass  (the  utmost  degradation  that  could  be 
inflicted  on  a  mussulman),  and  then  bastinadoed  until  he 
could  not  stand.  The  sailors  of  the  Enterprise  would 
have  been  consoled  for  the  loss  of  their  prize  money  could 
they  have  known  the  rage  and  mortification  of  the  bashaw, 


Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter.  49 

and  the  pitiful  condition  of  "  Mahomed  Sous."  If,  how- 
ever, this  worthy  potentate  supposed  that  his  treatment  of 
the  Rais  Mahomet  Sous  would  have  the  effect  to  make  his 
corsairs  fight  better  in  future,  he  was  greatly  mistaken, 
for  the  panic,  among  the  sea  going  fraternity,  became  so 
great  between  their  dread  of  defeat  at  the  hands  of  the 
Americans  on  one  side,  and  their  fear  of  the  bastinado  on 
the  other,  that  it  was  found  difficult  to  obtain  seamen  for 
the  corsairs  then  fitting  for  sea.  In  fact  the  wholesome 
lesson  given  by  the  Enterprise  was  not  lost  upon  the  Tri- 
politans,  who  were  exceedingly  cautious  about  venturing 
to  sea  the  whole  time  the  war  with  the  United  States  was 
carried  on. 

Could  the  administration  have  foreseen  the  effect  of  the 
first  naval  measure  against  the  Barbary  pirates,  it  is  not 
likely  that  Commodore  Dale's  powers  would  have  been  so 
restricted,  and  the  pirates  would  have  been  brought  to 
terms  in  a  very  few  months.  The  curious  idea  seemed  to 
prevail  with  our  government,  that  a  ship  of  war,  in  case  of 
attack,  could  not  without  express  sanction  of  congress,  do 
anything  more  than  defend  herself;  that  is,  must  let  a 
vessel  depart  after  thrashing  her  well,  so  as  to  repair 
damages  and  be  able  to  renew  the  attack.  This  was  a 
kind  of  international  courtesy  that  the  navy  did  not  appre- 
ciate, and  notwithstanding  the  sagacity  with  which  Presi- 
dent Jefferson  is  credited,  he  would  seem  in  this  matter 
to  have  been  very  far  out  of  his  reckoning,  and  not  to 
have  at  all  comprehended  the  situation  of  affairs.  While 
the  president  was  arguing  in  his  message  to  congress,  that 
the  government  could  only  act  on  the  defensive  against  a 
nation  that  had  declared  war  against  the  United  States, 
and  that  he  required  authority  from  congress  to  enable 
him  to  act  offensively,  the  commodore,  taking  a  common 
sense  view  of  the  case,  had  blockaded  the  port  of  Tripoli 
and  had  captured  neutral  vessels  attempting  to  enter  the 
harbor.  Commodore  Dale's  orders  required  him  to  return 
to  the  United  States  by  the  first  of  December,  and  after 
making  what  he  considered  the  best  disposition  of  the 
vessels  under  his  command,  he  returned  home  with  the 
frigate  President,  and  the  schooner  Enterprise.  Thus 
ended  what  is  considered  the  first  year  of  our  war  against 
7 


60  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

the  Barbary  powers,  which  was  only  relieved  from  obloquy 
(consequent  upon  the  pusillanimous  orders  of  our  govern- 
ment), by  the  exertions  of  the  navy.  The  only  guns  fired 
during  this  time,  so  far  as  appears  from  the  record,  were 
those  of  the  Enterprise,  and  from  what  we  know  of  the 
energy  and  ingenuity  of  Lieut.  Porter,  we  are  justified  in 
the  belief,  that  to  him  was  due  a  large  share  of  credit  in 
the  capture  and  ultimate  disposition  of  the  Tripolitan 
cruiser.  Certain  it  is,  that  this  aftair  contributed  more 
towards  securing  good  behavior  from  the  corsairs  than 
could  have  been  hoped  at  the  time ;  and  two  vessels,  that 
lay  at  Gibraltar  ready  for  sea,  on  hearing  the  news  of  their 
comrade's  fate,  dismantled  the  ships  and  sent  their  crews 
across  the  straits  to  Tetuan,  and  thence  by  land  a  distance 
of  1,300  miles  to  Tripoli.  Whether  the  captains  of  these 
cruisers  were  treated  to  a  jackass  ride,  k  la  Ginevra,  wind- 
ing up  with  the  bastinado,  history  does  not  inform  us. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  President  and  Enterprise  in  the 
United  States,  their  crews  were  discharged  and  a  new  one 
shipped  for  the  Enterprise,  which  vessel  was  attached  to  a 
new  squadron  originally  fitting  out  under  Commodore 
Truxton,  who  was  however  succeeded  by  Commodore 
Morris,  who  hoisted  his  broad  pendant  in  the  frigate 
Chesapeake.  The  vessels  of  the  squadron  not  being  all 
ready  and  there  being  a  necessity  for  their  services  in  the 
Mediterranean,  such  as  were  equipped  were  ordered  to 
proceed  to  sea.  (Commodore  Morris  assumed  command 
of  this  squadron  under  much  more  favorable  auspices  than 
his  predecessor  (Dale),  for  he  could  now  hope  to  be  allowed 
to  punish  the  Barbary  pirates  and  maintain  the  honor  of  our 
flag  without  the  risk  of  censure  from  the  United  States 
government.  In  1802,  congress  virtually  declared  war 
against  Tripoli,  at  least  they  enacted  laws  which  were  suffi- 
cient to  quiet  the  constitutional  scruples  of  President  Jefler- 
son.  Authority  was  given  to  our  naval  officers  to  capture 
and  condemn  any  Tripolitan  vessels  they  might  encounter. 

Commodore  Morris  had  under  his  command  what  was 
considered  to  be  the  most  efficient  squadron  ever  put  afloat 
by  the  United  States,  and  on  his  arrival  in  the  Mediter- 
ranean he  proceeded  to  blockade  the  harbor  of  Tripoli, 
hoping  by  this  means  to  bring  about  a  peace.     The  general 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  51 

operations  of  this  squadron  are  too  numerous  to  particu- 
larize in  these  pages,  as  they  are  fully  described  elsewhere ; 
our  object  is  simply  to  trace  the  career  of  David  Porter, 
now  first  lieutenant  of  the  frigate  'New  York,  to  which 
vessel,  on  the  reduction  of  the  squadron.  Commodore 
Morris  had  shifted  his  broad  pendant.  The  squadron  now 
comprised  the  New  York  36,  Adams  28,  John  Adams  28, 
and  Enterprise  12.  On  the  10th  of  May,  1802,  while  the 
ISTew  York  was  on  the  passage  to  Tripoli,  at  the  moment 
the  drum  was  rolling  to  grog,  a  heavy  explosion  was  heard 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  magazine,  and  the  lower  part  of  the 
ship  became  filled  with  smoke.  The  order  was  given  to 
beat  to  quarters,  and  the  men  went  quietly  to  their  stations, 
observing  perfect  discipline.  The  situation  was  critical, 
for  a  considerable  quantity  of  powder  had  exploded.  Com- 
mander Chauncy,  followed  by  Lieut.  Porter,  proceeded 
immediately  towards  the  magazine  through  the  passages 
filled  with  smoke,  and  after  great  exertions  succeeded  in 
putting  out  the  fire. 

In  the  latter  part  of  April,  1802,  Commodore  Morris 
arrived  off  Tripoli  with  the  New  York,  Adams,  and 
Enterprise,  and  as  the  squadron  stood  in  towards  the  har- 
bor several  small  vessels,  convoyed  by  gun  boats,  were 
seen  close  in  with  the  land  and  making  the  best  of  their 
way  to  the  port  of  Tripoli.  The  squadron  immediately 
gave  chase,  and  the  enemy  finding  themselves  cut  off  from 
the  harbor,  sent  the  merchantmen  into  the  port  of  old 
Tripoli ;  while  the  gun  boats,  by  means  of  their  sweeps, 
were  enabled  to  pull  under  shelter  of  the  batteries.  The 
merchantmen  were  small  lateen-rigged  craft  loaded  with 
wheat,  and  as  soon  as  they  got  into  port  preparations  were 
made  for  their  defense.  It  was  impossible  for  the  squadron 
to  follow  them  in,  for  the  port  was  full  of  reefs  and  there 
were  no  reliable  charts.  A  large  stone  building  stood  on 
a  bank,  near  the  shore,  which  was  occupied  by  a  body  of 
soldiers,  and  on  each  side  were  thrown  up  breastworks, 
composed  of  sacks  of  wheat  taken  from  the  merchant 
vessels,  which  were  themselves  finally  hauled  up  high  and 
dry  on  the  beach  close  to  the  building,  and  a  large  rein- 
forcement of  troops  was  brought  over  from  the  city  to 
man  the  breastworks.     The  best  engineer  could  not  have 


52  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

made  a  better  disposition  of  forces,  and  the  Tripolitans 
might  well  consider  their  works  impregnable  to  an  assault 
by  boats  and  sailors.  When  we  look  at  the  chart  we  can- 
not exactly  see  why  the  Tripolitan  vessels  should  have 
escaped  from  our  squadron,  but  such  was  the  fact,  how- 
ever mortifying  to  Commodore  Morris.  Lieut.  Porter 
seeing  the  annoyance  of  the  commodore,  immediately 
volunteered  to  go  in  that  night  with  the  boats  of  the  squad- 
ron and  destroy  the  vessels ;  but  the  commodore  decided 
to  wait  until  daylight  next  morning,  that  the  ships  might 
cooperate,  hoping  to  intimidate  the  Tripolitans  by  a  show 
of  force.  However,  Lieut.  Porter  was  permitted  to  recon- 
noitre the  place  under  cover  of  night ;  but  in  the  per- 
formance of  this  duty,  was  discovered  and  driven  off  by  a 
heavy  fire  of  musketry.  iN'ext  morning,  the  commodore 
accepted  Porter's  ofier,  and  Lieut.  James  Lawrence  of  the 
Enterprise  volunteering  to  accompany  him,  he  set  out 
backed  by  a  strong  party  of  officers  and  men  from  the 
several  ships.  When  the  attacking  party  got  within 
musket  shot  of  the  enemy,  the  Tripolitans  opened  a  heavy 
fire  which  the  Americans  had  no  opportunity  of  returning, 
for  in  that  day  boats  were  not  provided,  as  at  present,  with 
howitzers  firing  shrapnel,  so  beautifully  fitted  with  fuzes, 
as  to  burst  at  the  exact  time  and  place  required ;  they  had, 
in  fact,  none  of  those  modern  improvements  in  ordnance 
which  would  soon  have  disconcerted  a  party  behind  breast- 
works such  as  protected  the  Tripolitans.  So  on  the 
Americans  kept  without  firing  a  shot,  and  landing,  in  face 
of  a  greatly  superior  force,  set  fire  to  the  vessels  and  re- 
gained their  boats ;  which  opening,  to  the  right  and  left, 
allowed  the  ships  to  complete  the  work  by  the  fire  of  their 
batteries.  Notwithstanding  this  was  a  gallant  attack,  it 
was  barren  of  results  except  to  show  the  Turks  the  deter- 
mination of  the  people  with  whom  they  had  to  deal ;  for 
although  it  was  supposed  that  the  fire  from  the  ships  would 
deter  the  enemy  from  any  attempt  to  extinguish  the  flames, 
yet  impelled  by  the  fanaticism  which  sometimes  seizes  on 
the  followers  of  Islam,  they  persevered  in  spite  of  the  hail 
of  shot  poured  in  by  the  ships,  and  finally  succeeded  in 
putting  out  the  fire  and  saving  their  vessels.  While  lead- 
ing the  assault,  Lieut.  Porter  received  a  severe  wound 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  63 

from  a  musket  ball  in  the  left  thigh,  and  a  slight  wound 
in  the  right  thigh ;  but  in  spite  of  these  he  continued  in 
command  to  the  last.  "  During  the  attack  the  contending 
parties  were  so  near  each  other,  that  the  Turks  actually 
threw  stones  at  their  opponents."  The  Tripolitan  fire  was 
very  heavy,  twelve  or  fifteen  Americans  being  killed  and 
wounded.  The  loss  of  the  Turks  was  never  ascertained. 
Lieut.  Porter  was  laid  up,  for  a  time,  with  his  wounds; 
and  it  was  greatly  to  his  annoyance  that  he  could  not  par- 
ticipate in  several  handsome  afiairs  that  came  off  while  he 
was  disabled,  though  notwithstanding  his  wounds  he  had 
volunteered  to  renew  the  attack  that  same  night. 

The  Americans  soon  found  that  their  appliances  for 
carrying  on  the  war  against  Tripoli  were  entirely  inade- 
quate for  the  purpose.  It  had  recently  become  the  fashion 
to  mount  carronades  on  board  our  vessels  of  war,  for  the 
purpose  of  firing  shot  of  heavy  calibre  at  close  quarters ; 
but,  although  this  kind  of  ordnance  answered  well  enough 
in  a  fast  sailing  ship,  that  could  get  alongside  her  anta- 
gonist, they  were  wholly  unsuited  against  stone  walls,  at 
long  range ;  as  were,  likewise,  the  light  twelve  and  eight- 
een pounders,  which  composed  a  considerable  portion  of 
our  vessels'  armaments.  Vessels  fitted  out  for  such  ser- 
vice as  battering  the  stone  walls  that  constituted  the  de- 
fenses of  Tripoli,  should  have  been  armed  with  long  guns 
of  the  heaviest  calibre  and  accompanied  by  a  force  of  good 
mortar  boats.  The  Tripolitans  had  a  sufficient  number 
of  long  brass  twenty-four  pounders,  mounted  on  their 
works,  which  could  reach  a  ship  outside  the  line  where  it 
was  prudent  for  the  American  vessels  to  come  (owing  to 
the  depth  of  water),  to  render  it  imprudent  for  a  few 
ships  to  attack  the  town.  The  enemy  had  also  a  number 
of  gun  boats  and  galleys,  good  sized  vessels  heavily  armed 
and  capable  of  going  to  sea,  in  emergencies,  having  been 
constantly  employed  in  convoying  vessels  along  the  coast, 
and  in  cutting  ofi'any  stray  store  ship  or  other  small  vessel 
that  might  get  too  far  from  the  protecting  guns  of  the 
larger  ships.  Some  of  these  gunboats  had  mounted  a 
brass  gun  llj  feet  long  and  weighing  6600  pounds  with  a 
bore  to  receive  a  twenty-nine  pound  shot.  Each  gunboat 
had,  besides  the  long  gun,  two  brass  howitzers  mounted 


54  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

aft  to  keep  off  boats.  These  vessels  then,  when  formed  in 
line  to  act  conjointly  with  the  forts,  made  a  powerful  addi- 
tion to  the  strength  of  the  place.  As  they  were  able  to 
move  at  will  from  one  point  to  another  by  means  of  their 
sweeps,  they  formed  a  naval  force,  which,  if  it  had  been 
skilfully  managed,  would  have  rendered  it  hazardous  for 
even  a  large  vessel  to  venture  within  range.  The  gun 
boats  were  generally  kept  moored  inside  the  rocks  and 
under  the  guns  of  the  town.  Several  attacks  were,  by 
order  of  the  commodore,  made  on  these  defenses ;  which, 
though  exhibiting  the  gallantry  of  our  officers  and  seamen, 
were  not  productive  of  any  benefit,  neither  party  suffering 
materially  in  the  encounters. 

Cooper,  in  his  iTaval  History,  has  done  justice  to  the 
subject  in  his  account  of  these  events ;  and  not  to  recapitu- 
late, I  will  merely  mention  that  Commodore  Morris  was 
recalled  by  the  government,  which  did  not  feel  at  all  satis- 
fied with  the  management  of  the  force  entrusted  to  his 
care.  When  the  commodore  reached  the  United  States 
he  was  severely  punished  for  not  doing  more  when  he 
really  lacked  the  means  to  accomplish  anything.  Of  this 
the  government  were  ignorant,  but  found  out  their  mistake 
when  obliged  to  send  large  reinforcements  which  should 
have  been  sent  in  the  first  place. 

As  late  as  1812,  no  professional  man  was  ever  employed 
to  stand  between  an  officer  in  command  and  the  displeasure 
of  the  government;  and  so  much  injustice  was  committed 
in  consequence,  that  it  is  a  wonder  how  any  man,  of  high 
spirit,  could  be  found  to  command  our  squadrons  abroad. 
Owing  to  the  fact,  that  through  partiality  or  political  in- 
fluence, men  were  appointed  to  command  who  were  not 
always  suited  to  the  service  required  of  them,  disappoint- 
ment was  the  result,  and  upon  the  individual  was  too  often 
thrown  the  odium  of  failure,  which  properly  belonged  to 
the  administration.  This  course  it  is  probable  was  thought 
necessary  by  a  popular  government  to  justify  themselves 
before  the  people,  and  keep  themselves  in  office  ;  but  had 
a  little  professional  ability  been  called  to  assist  in  the 
councils  of  the  nation,  there  would  have  been  fewer  mis- 
takes in  naval  management  and  much  less  national  humilia- 
tion.    The  history  of  our  government  unfortunately  shows, 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  55 

that  some  of  the  politicians  who  have  presided  at  the  head 
of  our  navy,  have  oftener  lent  themselves  to  breaking 
down  the  reputation  of  officers,  than  exerted  themselves  in 
efforts  to  uphold  them  ;  and  have  frequently  failed  to  judge 
them  impartially,  or  to  protect  them  when  unjustly  as- 
sailed ;  and  nearly  all  the  secretaries  of  the  navy  have 
exerted  their  political  influence  to  curtail  the  authority 
granted  by  congress  to  naval  boards  or  bureaux,  when- 
ever the  authority  of  the  said  boards  came  in  conflict  with 
their  wishes,  or  interfered  with  their  political  patronage, 
without  regard  to  the  injury  such  action  might  inflict  upon 
the  navy.  The  acts  of  a  department  not  properly  repre- 
sented by  professional  men  particularly  in  the  army 
and  navy  are  frequently  characterized  by  petulance  and 
harshness  to  officers  in  command,  whose  actions,  very 
likely,  have  been  strictly  governed  by  orders  from  head- 
quarters; and  there  is  little  likelihood  that  an  officer  of 
high  rank  will  ever  receive  that  courtesy  and  consideration 
to  which  he  is  entitled,  when  the  department  is  not  influ- 
enced by  that  sense  of  justice  which  is  characteristic  of  the 
naval  profession. 


CHAPTER  Y. 

IlT  the  latter  part  of  1808,  the  Philadelphia  38,  Capt. 
Bainbridge,  was  directed  by  the  commodore  to  proceed  to 
Tripoli  accompanied  by  the  schooner  Vixen,  Lieut.  Com- 
mandant Smith,  and  keep  up  as  close  a  blockade  of  that  port 
as  the  weather  would  permit.  It  was  getting  late  in  the 
season  and  the  perils  of  that  coast  would  not  permit  a  con- 
tinuous blockade  in  mid  winter.  Lieut.  Porter  had  been 
transferred  from  the  Il^ew  York  to  the  Philadelphia,  as  1st 
lieutenant.  He  was  now  twenty-three  years  of  age,  and 
had  been  five  years  in  the  service,  but  in  common  with 


66  Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter. 

other  young  officers  of  the  period  he  exhibited  remarkable 
proficiency  in  his  profession,  and  handled  a  ship  with  as 
much  skill  as  many  old  seamen  could  have  done.  Edu- 
cated in  the  school  of  Truxton  and  Rodgers,  he  was  a  strict 
disciplinarian,  exacting  strict  obedience  and  attention  to 
duty  from  all  under  him,  while  exhibiting  in  his  own  per- 
son an  example  of  subordination  to  his  commanding 
officers'  wishes,  which  gained  for  him  the  lasting  esteem  of 
Capt.  Bainbridge.  It  could  not  be  expected  that  an  officer, 
brought  up  in  so  severe  a  school  as  Porter  had  been,  would 
not  sometimes  be  guilty  of  harshness  to  his  inferiors.  He 
was  impulsive  and  sometimes  too  severe,  but  his  impetu- 
osity was  tempered  by  a  generous  spirit,  and  he  always 
endeavored  to  repair,  by  every  means  in  his  power,  any  act 
of  injustice  which  he  felt  he  had  committed.  With  all  his 
severity,  therefore,  Porter  was  very  popular,  especially  with 
the  crew,  in  whose  care  and  comfort  he  took  great  interest, 
a  quality  in  an  officer  which  seamen  highly  appreciate. 
For  the  midshipmen's  welfare  he  was  also  solicitous, 
though  the  latter  thought  him  unreasonable  for  insisting 
on  their  close  application  to  study ;  and  never  on  any  ac- 
count to  neglect  a  duty.  This  was  what  his  models  Truxton 
and  Rodgers  had  required  from  him,  and  Porter,  in  turn, 
exacted  it  from  others.  He  was  of  a  chivalric  nature,  and 
would  not  for  the  world  have  had  any  body  think  that  he 
took  advantage  of  his  position  as  Ist  lieutenant  to  perse- 
cute him.  He  was  once  told  by  a  young  officer  of  about 
his  own  age,  "  that  he  was  wanting  in  magnanimity,  in 
treating  with  harshness  one  beneath  him  in  rank  who  had 
not  the  privilege  of  holding  him  responsible."  This  mor- 
tified Porter  exceedingly  at  the  time,  and  his  first  impulse 
was  to  place  the  officer  under  arrest  (which  he  could  have 
done  with  propriety),  but  soon  recovering  his  equanimity, 
he  said :  "  The  inequality  of  our  rank  need  not  interfere  with 
any  demand  you  may  think  proper  to  make  on  me,  and  I 
shall  demand  satisfaction  of  you  for  reflecting  on  the  in- 
tegrity of  my  motives."  Now  this  was  not  exactly  a  pro- 
per position  for  a  first  lieutenant  to  place  himself  in,  but 
it  was  a  generous  impulse  that  induced  Porter  to  waive 
his  rank  to  a  junior  who  considered  himself  aggrieved. 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  57 

This  affair  was,  however,  amicably  settled,  and  the  two 
remained  friends  the  rest  of  their  service  together. 

The  navy  of  those  days  was  a  fine  school  to  bring  out 
in  relief  the  noble  qualities  of  those  brave  spirits  who 
were  ready  to  make  any  sacrifice,  and  run  any  risk  in  the 
cause  of  their  country.  All  seemed  ready  to  share  each 
other's  dangers,  and  divide  equally  the  honors  won  by  all. 
There  was  little  jealousy,  but  like  a  community  of  brothers 
the  officers  of  the  navy  rejoiced  in  each  other's  good  for- 
tune, and  contributed  to  it  by  every  means  in  their  power. 
Honor  was  the  watch  word,  and  those  selfish  feelings 
which  are  apt  to  creep  into  a  military  profession  in  time 
of  peace,  inducing  officers  to  seek  their  own  advancement, 
regardless  of  the  claims  of  others,  had  no  existence  in  the 
Mediterranean  squadron.  When  we  remember  the  noble 
emulation  which  then  existed,  when  seniors  were  even 
willing  to  serve  under  their  juniors,  and  where  applications 
for  desperate  enterprises  were  so  numerous  that  it  was 
difficult  to  say  who  should  not  join  in  an  expedition,  we 
can  well  understand  how  success  should  follow  the  efforts 
of  such  gallant  souls,  and  what  sacrifices  they  stood  ready 
to  make  for  their  country  when  led  by  Preble,  the  master 
spirit  amon^  a  throng  of  young  heroes.  It  was  an  era  of 
chivalry,  never  we  fear  to  come  again,  for  it  can  only  exist 
at  that  youthful  age  when  men's  selfish  passions  have  not 
begun  to  usurp  the  place  of  generous  impulses.  Porter's 
character,  however,  underwent  little  change  as  he  grew 
older ;  with  him  the  child  was  really  the  father  of  the  man. 

Under  the  care  of  her  experienced  captain  and  energetic 
first  lieutenant,  the  Philadelphia  was  in  most  excellent 
order,  and  under  the  gallant  Preble  (who  was  expected 
shortly  to  take  command  of  the  squadron),  the  officers  ex- 
pected glorious  opportunities  for  distinction ;  but  all  were 
doomed  to  severe  disappointment  by  the  loss  of  the  ship 
oft'  the  harbor  of  Tripoli.  At  9  a.m.  on  the  31st  of  October, 
1803,  while  the  frigate  was  about  five  leagues  oft*  shore,  to 
the  eastward  of  Tripoli,  a  ship  was  descried  in  shore  stand- 
ing to  the  westward  before  the  wind.  Chase  was  immedi- 
ately given  to  the  stranger,  who  hoisted  Tripolitan  colors, 
and  continued  her  course  close  al  ong  the  coast.  About  eleven 
o'clock,  the  frigate  was  so  near  the  shore  that  the  water 
8 


58  Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter. 

shoaled  to  seven  fathoms.  The  Philadelphia  then  com- 
menced firing  on  the  enemy,  which  was  kept  up  by  run- 
ning before  the  wind  for  half  an  hour,  when,  finding  it 
impossible  to  prevent  the  vessel's  escape,  the  pursuit  was 
abandoned.  The  frigate  then  bore  off*  the  land  to  get  into 
deep  water,  but  ran  on  to  some  sunken  rocks,  leaving  her 
with  only  twelve  feet  of  water  forward,  and  seventeen  aft. 
In  spite  of  all  the  precautions  which  had  been  taken  to 
prevent  such  a  disaster,  by  keeping  three  leads  constantly 
going,  the  ship  struck  the  rocks  with  about  eight  knots 
headway.  All  sail  was  immediately  set  to  force  her  over 
what  was  supposed  to  be  a  bank,  but  which  was  in  reality 
a  smooth  shelving  rock,  on  which  the  vessel  had  run  as  far 
as  her  impetus  would  carry  her,  and  there  lay  hard  and 
fast.  Finding  that  his  attempt  to  force  the  ship  over  did 
not  succeed.  Captain  Bainbridge  asked  the  advice  of  the 
first  lieutenant  as  to  what  was  best  to  be  done,  and  the 
latter  advised  a  consultation  with  the  commissioned  officers. 
Meanwhile  perfect  order  reigned  throughout  the  vessel, 
and  all  hands  were  busy  in  efforts  to  get  her  off*. 

Boats  were  lowered,  and  soundings  soon  showed  that 
there  was  no  deep  water  near  the  vessel,  and  it  was  ap- 
parent to  all  that  without  some  stroke  of  good  fortune  she 
would  be  lost.  The  enemy's  gun  boats,  nine  in  number, 
were  soon  seen  coming  out  of  the  harbor  of  Tripoli,  and 
cautiously  approaching  to  reconnoitre  the  Philadelphia,  of 
whose  condition  they  were  apparently  aware.  At  length 
repeated  soundings  showed  deep  water  astern,  when  the 
sails  were  braced  aback,  the  guns  run  aft,  and  the  anchors 
cut  from  the  bow ;  but  all  attempts  to  move  the  ship  were 
unavailing.  All  the  guns  were  then  hove  overboard,  with 
the  exception  of  a  few  reserved  for  defense  against  the  ad- 
vancing gun  boats.  Meanwhile  the  frigate  had  heeled 
over  very  much  to  port,  in  which  position  she  remained 
fixed,  and  the  enemy  passing  under  the  fire  from  the  stern 
battery,  took  up  a  position  on  the  starboard  and  weather 
quarter,  where  no  guns  could  be  brought  to  bear  on  them. 

It  was  now  that  Capt.  Bainbridge  realized  the  mistake 
he  had  made  in  sending  off  the  Yixen  in  search  of  a 
Tripolitan  cruiser,  that  had  got  to  sea  a  short  time  previ- 
ous.    This  had  left  him  alone  in  the  frigate  to  blockade 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  59 

a  port  where  the  chasing  had  to  be  done  in-shore  and  in 
shoal  water,  a  duty  which  could  be  far  better  performed  in 
a  vessel  of  light  draft.  Moreover,  had  the  Yixen  been 
present  she  could  have  kept  the  enemy's  gun  boats  at  bay 
while  the  frigate  was  being  extricated  from  her  perilous 
position.  Capt.  Bainbridge  now  summoned  another  coun- 
cil of  war,  who  were  of  opinion  that  the  water  in  the  hold 
should  be  started  and  pumped  out,  then  all  heavy  articles 
were  thrown  overboard,  and  finally  the  foremast  was  cut 
away ;  but  all  this  had  no  effect  in  moving  the  ship.  Orders 
were  then  given  for  the  carpenter  to  bore  holes  through 
the  bottom,  and  for  the  gunner  to  drown  the  magazine,  in 
fact  every  precaution  was  taken  to  render  the  ship  useless 
to  the  Tripolitans,  should  they  unfortunately  obtain  pos- 
session of  her. 

During  all  these  operations,  the  enemy  having  taken  a 
position  where  they  could  not  be  harmed  by  any  fire  from 
the  Americans,  kept  up  the  attack  from  half  past  one 
o'clock  until  sunset ;  but  the  Philadelphia  appears  to  have 
suffered  from  it  only  in  her  spars  and  rigging.  It  was 
now  evidently  impossible  to  prevent  the  capture  of  the 
Philadelphia ;  and  to  prevent  a  useless  sacrifice  of  the  lives 
of  his  ofiicers  and  men,  Capt.  Bainbridge  gave  the  order 
to  strike  the  colors.  Up  to  this  time  the  enemy  had  kept 
at  a  respectful  distance,  but  no  sooner  were  the  colors 
hauled  down,  than  the  gun  boats  made  a  rush  for  the  fri- 
gate, and  in  ten  minutes  the  decks  were  swarming  with 
the  pirates,  who  began  to  plunder  the  unfortunate  Ame- 
ricans of  everything  they  possessed,  even  stripping  off  their 
clothing,  and  leaving  them  nearly  naked. 

The  officers  were  soon  carried  before  the  bashaw,  who 
was  highly  delighted  at  this  capture  of  prisoners  to  add  to 
his  list  of  slaves,  but  on  the  whole  his  reception  of  them 
was  not  unkind,  and  they  were  conducted  to  the  late  Ame- 
rican consulate,  and  placed  under  the  particular  charge  of 
the  minister  of  foreign  affairs,  Mahommed  D  Ghies,  with 
whom  they  had  no  difficulty  in  communicating  as  he  spoke 
French  fluently.  Considering  that  the  bashaw  was  a  bar- 
barian his  treatment  of  the  prisoners  was  generous.  They 
were  supplied  with  sufficient  food,  but  suffered  greatly  for 
want  of  clothing.     Most  of  the  officers  had  laid  in  a  three 


60  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

years  outfit,  and  had  lost  every  thing  except  what  they 
stood  in  when  captured.  How  they  were  to  be  clothed 
in  future,  unless  they  adopted  the  Turkish  costume,  they 
were  at  a  loss  to  imagine.  Fortunately,  they  found  a  friend 
in  the  person  of  Mr.  Mssen,  the  Danish  consul,  who  was 
introduced  to  Capt.  Bainbridge  by  Mahommed  D  Ghies, 
and  this  gentleman  immediately  relieved  the  prisoners' 
anxiety,  promising  them  every  assistance  in  his  power, 
which  promise  he  kept  to  the  letter.  The  minister,  Ma- 
hommed D  Ghies,  also  manifested  the  most  friendly  disposi- 
tion, intimating  to  the  prisoners  that  they  might  depend 
upon  his  humanity ;  and  Mr.  Nissen,  having  done  all  that 
he  could  for  them  at  the  time,  the  officers  found  them- 
selves much  better  situated  than  they  had  reason  to  expect 
from  the  rough  treatment  to  which  they  were  subjected 
when  first  captured. 

Up  to  the  time  of  the  capture  of  the  Philadelphia,  the 
bashaw  had  received  from  the  Americans  nothing  but 
humiliation,  or  to  use  the  figurative  language  of  the  Turks, 
"  The  Christian  dogs  had  made  him  eat  dirt."  He  had 
made  few  or  no  captures  of  American  merchant  vessels, 
and  his  corsair  ships  had  been  either  captured  or  block- 
aded in  some  foreign  port.  The  capture  of  the  Tripoli, 
and  the  treatment  of  the  vessel,  was  the  greatest  indignity 
that  this  Barbary  despot  had  ever  received;  and,  under  the 
circumstances,  it  seems  wonderful  that  the  bashaw  should 
have  been  so  complaisant  as  to  address  words  of  consola- 
tion to  his  prisoners.  The  bashaw  had  begun  to  feel  very 
despondent,  for  independently  of  his  losses  he  felt  that  his 
influence  among  his  subjects  was  declining,  and  when  this 
feeling  arises  in  barbarous  countries,  especially  when  dis- 
trust occurs  among  the  troops,  the  distance  from  the 
throne  to  the  grave  is  short,  the  bow  string  is  put  in  requi 
sition,  and  does  its  work  eflectually.  But  this  night  the 
bashaw  felt  particularly  joyous,  and  so  he  said,  "  Let  the 
Christian  dogs  eat,  drink  and  be  merry,  for  they  will 
bring  us  a  ransom  more  than  the  value  of  the  vessels  we 
have  lost." 

Fext  morning  the  Tripolitans  set  to  work  to  get  the 
Philadelphia  afloat.  The  frigate  was  on  shore  about  three 
miles  from  Tripoli,  and  as  the  corsairs  had  plenty  of  large 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  61 

launches,  anchors,  and  cables,  and  an  unlimited  number  of 
men,  they  felt  sanguine  of  saving  the  vessel.  Two  days 
after  they  got  to  work  the  wind  came  out  strong  from  the 
northwest,  and  forcing  the  water  up  on  the  African  coast 
the  ship's  stern  floated.  Anchors  were  now  carried  out 
astern,  the  whole  force  at  the  disposal  of  the  bashaw  was 
applied  to  the  work,  and  in  three  days  from  the  commence- 
ment of  operations  the  Tripolitans  had  the  Philadelphia 
afloat.  She  was  towed  to  within  a  short  distance  of  the 
town,  and  there  remained  until  the  weather  abated ;  the 
Tripolitans  pumping  night  and  day  to  keep  her  free  of 
water.  The  Americans  supposed  that  they  had  effectually 
destroyed  the  pumps  by  dropping  shot  into  them,  but  if 
such  was  the  case  the  Tripolitans  soon  rigged  up  others, 
and  the  carpenter  had  scuttled  the  ship  so  imperfectly  that 
the  holes  were  stopped  without  much  trouble.  Barbarians 
as  they  were,  the  Tripolitans  were  smart  sailors,  and  taking 
advantage  of  the  good  weather  following  the  northwest 
gale,  they  not  only  succeeded  in  taking  the  Philadelphia 
into  port,  but  in  weighing  all  the  guns  and  anchors  which 
lay  in  the  clear  shallow  water  around  the  ship,  so  that  there 
was  scarce  an  article  thrown  overboard  that  was  not  re- 
covered. The  American  prisoners  were  deeply  mortified 
to  see  the  Philadelphia  repaired  as  well  as  circumstances 
would  admit,  the  guns  all  mounted,  and  the  anchors  in 
their  places.  They  had  confidently  expected  that  she 
would  have  thumped  her  bottom  out  in  the  northwest 
blow,  but  it  happened  she  was  to  leeward  of  a  reef,  and  the 
sea  broke  over  her  without  lifting  her  much,  which  ac- 
counts for  her  not  going  to  pieces. 

The  unwonted  kindness  of  the  bashaw  did  not  long 
continue.  From  the  first  he  had  intended  to  treat  his 
prisoners  as  circumstances  might  occur.  He  had  no  doubt 
that  the  United  States  government  would  now  listen  to 
reason,  and  enable  him  to  propose  his  own  terms  of  peace. 
He  had  three  hundred  and  fifteen  prisoners,  including 
twenty-two  quarter-deck  officers,  and  rightly  supposed 
that  there  would  be  great  excitement  in  the  United  States 
over  the  reduction  of  all  these  people  to  slavery;  and 
hoped  to  obtain  a  large  amount  of  money  by  way  of  ran- 
som.    Previous  to  this,  the  bashaw,  rather  alarmed  by  the 


62  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

determined  attitude  of  our  government,  had  seemed  inclined 
to  listen  to  terms  of  peace,  but  having  now  gained  what 
he  considered  a  great  advantage,  he  was  anxious  to  con- 
tinue the  war. 

Commodore  Preble,  who  was  now  in  command  of  the 
squadron,  immediately  on  hearing  of  the  capture  of  the 
Philadelphia,  made  a  proper  disposition  of  his  forces,  and 
arrived  off  Tripoli  in  the  latter  part  of  December  1803 ; 
but  after  communicating  with  Capt.  Bainbridge  and  learn- 
ing the  situation  of  affairs  ;  he  returned  in  the  Constitution 
to  his  headquarters  at  Syracuse,  as  hostile  operations  could 
not  be  conducted  at  that  season  of  the  year.  The  first 
proposition  to  destroy  the  Philadelphia  came  from.  Capt. 
Bainbridge  and  his  officers,  who  took  every  opportunity, 
before  they  were  rigorously  confined,  to  ascertain  what 
were  the  facilities  for  an  active  enemy  attempting  such  a 
task;  and  the  commodore  was  notified,  through  Bain- 
bridge, that  the  vessel  was  slowly  fitting  to  cruise  at  sea. 

We  have  all  read  of  the  gallant  affair  of  the  burning  of 
the  Philadelphia  by  Stephen  Decatur  in  the  ketch  Intrepid ; 
and  as  our  history  will  deal  as  little  as  possible  with 
matters  in  which  Porter  was  not  personally  an  actor,  we 
must  refer  our  readers  to  the  chronicles  of  those  times. 
The  rage  of  the  bashaw  at  the  destruction  of  the  Phila- 
delphia was  unbounded,  and  one  effect  was  to  increase 
very  much  the  rigors  of  his  prisoners'  confinement.  The 
satisfaction  of  the  latter,  when  they  saw  the  flames  which 
destroyed  their  old  ship  lighting  up  the  harbor  of  Tripoli, 
was  of  short  duration.  The  sailors  were  put  to  work 
carrying  stones  on  their  heads  and  shoulders  to  repair  the 
fortifications;  and  at  this  laborious  employment  they  were 
kept  from  morning  till  night,  exposed  to  the  burning  sun, 
and  supplied  with  very  insufficient  rations.  Instead  of 
beef,  tough  camel's  meat  was  served  out  to  them,  and  the 
bread  was  a  miserable  article  composed  of  beans  instead 
of  wheat.  The  officers,  although  not  compelled  to  labor, 
had  their  comforts  much  curtailed;  and  the  provisions 
served  out  to  them  were  of  the  poorest  description.  Thus, 
for  upwards  of  nineteen  months,  were  the  unfortunate 
Americans  subjected  to  a  rigorous  confinement;  the  United 
States  government  paying  no  heed  to  the  exhorbitant  de- 


Memoik  op  Commodore  David  Porter.  63 

mands  of  the  bashaw,  who  required  as  a  ransora  for  his 
prisoners  the  sum  of  $160,000 ;  for,  by  noticing  favorably 
such  a  demand,  they  would  have  virtually  abandoned  the 
principle  for  which  they  had  been  contending.  Thus  our 
government  was  reduced  to  the  painful  alternative  of  leav- 
ing their  citizens  to  remain  in  prison ;  but  resolving  to 
adopt  the  most  energetic  measures  against  their  piratical 
enemies.  ISTotwithstanding  the  uncomfortable  predica- 
ment in  which  our  officers  and  crew  were  situated,  they 
never  murmured  at  this  determination  of  the  government ; 
but,  on  the  contrary,  were  most  anxious  that  no  terms 
should  be  entered  into  for  their  relief,  not  strictly  honor- 
able to  the  United  States.  The  officers,  seeing  that  their 
confinement  was  likely  to  be  a  long  one,  endeavored  to 
provide  against  that  dullness  which  is  the  invariable  ac- 
companiment of  captivity. 

Consul  Kissen  continued  his  kind  offices  and  supplied 
the  captives  with  books ;  and  Porter,  whose  spirits  never 
flagged,  and  who  never  lost  an  opportunity  of  encouraging 
those  around  him,  established  a  school  of  instruction  for 
the  younger  officers,  in  which  all  joined.  These  exercises 
consumed  a  greater  portion  of  the  day ;  and  evening  was 
spent  in  such  pastimes  as  could  be  invented  or  remembered 
from  among  those  of  their  younger  days.  In  this  way  time 
passed,  if  not  joyously,  at  least  not  uselessly.  Lieut.  Porter 
instructed  the  midshipmen  in  fleet-sailing,  seamanship, 
navigation,  and  gunnery,  for  which  all  expressed  their  in- 
debtedness to  him  in  after  years.  His  own  education  had 
been  very  deficient,  for  his  father  could  only  send  him  to 
elementary  schools  ;  and  he,  therefore,  took  advantage  of 
this  opportunity  to  improve  his  own  mind.  He  pursued 
the  study  of  mathematics  and  the  French  language,  read 
history  carefully,  devoted  much  attention  to  English  gram- 
mar, became  proficient  in  right-line  drawing,  and  obtained 
a  fair  knowledge  of  the  art  of  landscape  drawing,  all  of 
which  he  considered  necessary  parts  of  an  officer's  educa- 
tion. It  can  easily  be  imagined  what  a  dreary  time  these 
captives  would  have  had,  shut  up  in  prison  for  nearly  two 
years,  and  without  the  opportunity  of  communicating  with 
their  friends,  had  there  not  been  some  leading  spirit  to 
animate  them.     Captain  Bainbridge  was  allowed  a  room 


64  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

to  himself,  in  consideration  of  his  rank ;  his  health  was 
not  good,  and  his  spirits  being  greatly  depressed  in  conse- 
quence of  the  loss  of  his  ship,  he  passed  many  lonesome 
hours  shut  up  in  his  apartment ;  thus  the  responsibility  of 
keeping  alive  the  spirits  of  the  party  devolved  upon  his 
first  lieutenant. 

The  prisoners  made  many  ineffectual  attempts  to  escape, 
in  which  Porter  always  took  a  conspicuous  part ;  but  these 
attempts  had  no  other  result  than  to  increase  the  severity 
of  their  imprisonment.     One  day  they  opened  communica- 
tion with  the  seamen,  who  on  going  to  their   daily  work 
had  to  traverse  a  narrow  passage  past  the  quarters  where 
the  officers  were  confined.     The  seamen  working  on  the 
walls  had  frequent  opportunities  of  witnessing  the  opera- 
tions of  the  American  squadron,  and  of  seeing  the  prepara- 
tions of  the  Tripolitans.     By  some  means  a  hole  was  cut 
through  the  wall  between  the  officers'  room  and  the  passage, 
and  written  communications  handed  through.     This  con- 
tinued without  discovery  for  a  considerable  time,  until  at 
length,  grown  bold  by  frequent  success,  an  officer  one  day 
undertook  to  converse  with  the  men  going  through  the 
passage.     The  sound  of  the  conversation  was  overheard  by 
one  of  the  officials  appointed  to  urge  the  prisoners  in  their 
work,  the  plan  was  discovered  and  immediately  reported 
to  the  Tripolitan  officer  on  duty.     The  moment  this  man 
was  informed  of  what  had  transpired  he  rushed  into  the 
captive  officers'  quarters,  his  eyes  glittering  with  rage,  and 
demanded  to  know  who  had  dared  to  open  that  hole  in  the 
wall ;  when  Lieut.  Porter,  without  a  moment's  hesitation, 
stepped  forward  and  took  the  blame  upon  himself.     A 
guard  was  summoned  and  Mr.  Porter  was  marched  off  to 
the  bashaw  ;  his  companions,  much  alarmed  at  his  prospect- 
ive fate,  anxiously  waiting  to  hear  what  had  befallen  him. 
In  a  few  hours  Porter  returned  uninjured  to  his  companions. 
He  had  frankly  acknowledged  his  offense  to  the  bashaw, 
at  the  same   time   taking  the  opportunity  to  tell  Jusef 
Caramelli  how  harshly  the  prisoners  were  dealt  with,  pro- 
testing in  the  name  of  his  government  against  such  treat- 
ment.    Strange  to  say,  the  despot,  instead  of  displaying  his 
usual  rage,  promised  to  give  the  matter  his  consideration, 
and  restored  the  offender  to  his  anxious  friends.     The  hole 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  65 

was  stopped  by  the  bashaw's  order ;  but  from  that  time 
their  treatment  was  much  improved. 

It  was  a  very  disheartening  thing  for  those  officers  to  be 
cooped  up  when  they  knew  their  friends  in  the  squadron 
were  reaping  such  a  harvest  of  fame,  and  from  Lieut.  Por- 
ter's character  we  can  imagine  what  a  conspicuous  part  he 
would  have  taken  in  the  difierent  encounters  which  were 
continually  taking  place  between  the  hostile  parties,  had 
he  been  at  liberty  to  offer  his  services.  They  had  all  to 
remain  quiet,  much  against  their  will,  and  their  only  con- 
solation was  the  news  of  the  glorious  feats  of  their  com- 
rades outside,  which  was  communicated  by  their  friend 
Mr.  Mssen.  The  prisoners  were  frequently  in  danger 
from  the  shot  and  shell  of  the  United  States  squadron, 
which  often  struck  their  prison.  Once  a  heavy  shot  passed 
through  the  castle  wall  into  Captain  Bainbridge's  room, 
knocking  the  stones  and  mortar  on  to  the  bed  where  the 
captain  was  lying  and  nearly  burying  him  in  the  rubbish. 
Bainbridge  was  instantly  pulled  out  of  the  debris  by  his 
officers,  severely  injured ;  and,  notwithstanding  the  danger 
to  which  himself  and  companions  were  exposed  by  the 
bombardment,  he  wrote  to  Commodore  Preble  urging  him 
to  keep  up  the  fire  with  the  mortars,  at  every  opportunity, 
as  it  demoralized  the  Tripolitans  very  much,  and  would  do 
more  than  anything  else  to  bring  them  to  terms. 

All  things  will  have  an  end,  and  the  Tripolitan  war  was 
no  exception  to  the  rule. .  The  United  States  government 
at  last  discovered,  that  the  economical  system  pursued 
towards  the  navy  in  the  early  part  of  Mr.  Jefferson's  ad- 
ministration, was  not  the  one  to  ensure  success  against  a 
stubborn  enemy;  so  after  many  earnest  appeals  from 
Commodore  Preble,  who  on  his  return  to  the  United 
States  in  1804-5,  gave  all  the  necessary  information  on 
which  to  base  further  arrangements  for  prosecuting  the 
war,  a  squadron  was  ordered  to  be  prepared  for  sea, 
which,  when  completed,  would  increase  the  force  before 
Tripoli  to  fourteen  large  vessels  carrying  304  guns,  ten 
gun  boats  carrying  17  guns  and  two  bomb  vessels.  The 
Tripolitans,  seeing  that  the  United  States  were  determined 
to  prosecute  the  war  until  they  were  conquered,  concluded 
9 


66  Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter. 

at  length  to  succumb,  and  on  the  third  of  June,  1805,  the 
treaty  of  peace  was  signed. 

It  was  agreed  that  the  United  States  should  never  be  re- 
quired to  pay  tribute  to  Tripoli,  but  after  exchanging  pri- 
soners man  for  man  it  was  settled  that  $60000  should  be 
paid  to  Tripoli  for  the  excess  of  prisoners  in  her  possession. 
This  latter  clause  in  the  treaty  sounds  rather  strangely 
after  such  loss  of  life  and  outlay  of  money  in  prosecuting 
the  war ;  and,  no  doubt,  the  United  States  could  have 
made  better  terms  by  carrying  on  hostilities  a  little  longer, 
but  the  sufferings  of  the  prisoners  in  Tripolitan  hands 
were  exciting  so  much  sympathy  at  home,  and  the  expense 
of  further  warfare  would  have  been  so  great  that,  perhaps, 
the  course  pursued  may  have  been  the  wisest.  It  was  a 
joyful  day  when  all  these  poor  fellows  were  released,  and 
received  the  congratulations  of  their  friends ;  but  amid  all 
their  joy  at  being  relieved  from  confinement,  the  prisoners 
could  not  but  experience  deep  sorrow  when  they  missed 
the  many  comrades  who  had  fallen  before  the  walls  of 
Tripoli.  A  few  years  had  made  sad  havoc  among  their 
friends,  but  such  is  ever  the  result  of  war. 

In  this  conflict  the  American  nation,  which  had  been 
fighting  for  the  rights  of  civilized  nations,  had  won  great 
renown  through  its  navy,  and  the  thanks  oi"  Christendom 
for  setting  an  example  that  was  soon  followed  by  all 
Europe.  When  we  look  at  these  insignificant  Barbary 
powers  to-day  we  can  hardly  realize  that  we  ever  consented 
to  pay  tribute  to  them  in  the  first  place,  and  in  the  last  act 
abandoned  all  the  principles  for  which  we  had  contended 
by  paying  that  ransom  of  $60000.  With  all  this,  however, 
the  navy  had  nothing  to  do,  and  had  the  matter  been  left 
to  them  to  decide,  the  barbarians  would  never  have  got 
anything,  since  they  knew  that  they  could  conquer  a  peace. 
Throughout  the  trying  ordeal  they  had  to  undergo,  the 
honor  of  the  navy  remained  untarnished;  and  painful  as 
had  been  the  imprisonment  of  the  officers  and  crew  of  the 
Philadelphia,  yet  it  produced  good  fruit,  for  without  the 
loss  of  that  vessel  and  its  results,  the  government  might 
have  abandoned  a  contest  which  in  the  end  put  a  stop  to 
the  enslaving  of  Christian  people. 

At  the  close  of  the  war,  Commodore  Eodgers  remained 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  67 

in  command  of  the  Mediterranean  squadron,  which  had 
been  considerably  increased,  in  order  to  overawe  the  Bar- 
barj  powers  from  any  further  molestation  of  American 
commerce.  He  immediately  gave  the  command  of  the 
favorite  Enterprise  to  Lieut.  Porter,  and  ordered  him  to 
Tripoli,  with  discretionary  power  to  cruise  through  the 
Mediterranean  for  a  time  and  recruit  his  shattered  health, 
the  result  of  his  long  imprisonment.  Porter  had,  previous 
to  taking  command  of  the  Enterprise,  performed  the  duty 
of  captain  of  the  Constitution,  the  flag  ship  of  Commodore 
Rodgers. 

Much  as  the  navy  had  done  to  raise  the  reputation  of 
the  American  flag,  there  were  not  wanting  those  who 
took  every  opportunity  to  depreciate  its  achievements ;  and 
this  was  particularly  the  case  with  the  officers  and  men  of 
the  British  navy,  who  on  several  occasions  treated  those 
on  board  the  Enterprise  in  such  a  manner  as  to  call  forth 
the  prompt  resentment  of  Porter  and  his  officers.  On  one 
occasion,  while  the  schooner  was  lying  in  the  harbor  of 
Malta,  an  English  sailor  came  alongside  in  a  shore  boat 
and  heaped  the  most  abusive  epithets  upon  the  whole 
ship's  company,  incited,  no  doubt,  by  the  cavalier  manner 
in  which  certain  of  the  British  officers  at  that  time  treated 
our  navy — not  that  there  were  no  honorable  exceptions, 
for  many  of  those  in  the  royal  navy  fully  appreciated  the 
gallantry  of  our  countrymen  in  the  late  contest  with 
Tripoli.  The  officers  of  the  Enterprise  had,  on  several 
occasions,  been  mortified  by  the  treatment  they  had  re- 
ceived in  Malta,  and  were  much  incensed  by  the  conduct 
of  the  sailor  whom  they  considered  as  merely  an  agent 
acting  for  others.  The  man  was  ordered  away  from  the 
side  and  threatened  with  the  displeasure  of  the  authorities, 
which  only  called  forth  further  abuse  and  taunts  towards 
the  American  flag,  which  seemed  to  be  the  special  object 
of  his  disgust;  and  finding  that  neither  persuasion  nor 
remonstrance  had  any  eflect,  the  commander  of  the  Enter- 
prise had  him  brought  on  board  and  administered  to  him 
a  good  flogging  at  the  gangway.  This,  it  must  be  con- 
fessed, was  rather  an  arbitrary  proceeding,  but  it  was  the 
result  of  impulse  which  did  not  stop  to  consider  what 
might  be  the  consequences.     Lieut.  Com.  Porter  thought 


68  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

only  of  resenting  an  aggravated  insult  in  what  seemed  to 
him  the  most  appropriate  manner.  This  event  created 
considerahle  excitement  in  Malta,  people  not  taking  time 
to  consider  the  provocation  offered  by  the  sailor.  The 
governor  took  the  matter  up  with  great  warmth,  and  with- 
out paying  the  American  commander  the  courtesy  of  in- 
quiring into  the  merits  of  the  case,  he  directed  that  the 
Enterprise  should  not  sail  until  the  affair  was  investigated, 
ordering  the  commanders  of  the  forts  in  the  harbor  to 
prevent  her  passing  out.  Captain  Porter  informed  the 
governor  that  he  intended  to  sail  at  a  certain  hour,  that 
any  complaint  against  him  must  be  made  to  the  United 
States  government ;  and  that  he  would  defend  his  vessel 
if  attacked.  Accordingly  at  the  appointed  time  the  Enter- 
prise got  under  way  and  proceeded  to  sea,  the  crew  at 
quarters  with  lighted  matches  all  ready  to  fire  upon  the 
town  in  case  the  vessel  was  molested.  The  governor,  no 
doubt,  when  he  came  to  reflect  upon  the  matter,  saw  that 
Porter's  action  towards  the  sailor  was  just  what  that  of  a 
British  officer  would  have  been  under  the  same  circum- 
stances ;  and,  moreover,  knew  that  he  had  no  right  to  de- 
tain a  ship  of  war  for  a  matter  that  could  be  settled  by  a 
reference  to  the  United  States  government.  As  no  such 
reference  was  ever  made,  it  is  fair  to  suppose  that  the 
governor  finally  came  to  the  conclusion  that  Capt.  Porter 
had  done  what  was  about  right. 

The  Enterprise  continued  her  cruise  down  the  Mediter- 
ranean, and  along  the  coast  of  Morocco,  looking  out  for 
American  interests  ;  and  while  passing  through  the  straits 
of  Gibraltar,  in  sight  of  the  town  and  the  British  squadron 
lying  at  anchor  in  the  harbor,  the  schooner  was  attacked 
by  twelve  Spanish  gunboats  that  ran  out  from  the  harbor 
of  Algeciras.  What  was  the  object  of  this  unexpected 
attack  we  are  not  informed.  As  soon  as  Capt.  Porter  saw 
the  gunboat  approaching  with  hostile  intent,  he  hoisted 
his  colors  and  prepared  for  action  ;  the  Spaniards  took  no 
notice  of  the  flag  but  attacked  the  schooner  at  once.  There 
was  no  doubt  of  the  Spanish  superiority,  the  gun  boats 
were  latteen-rigged  vessels  of  some  size,  and  each  armed 
with  a  long  gun  ;  but,  in  a  very  short  time,  the  fire  of  the 
Enterprise  caused  them  to  ignominiously  retire,  and  left  a 


f  \ 


^ 


Memoie  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  69 

lasting  impression,  upon  the  minds  of  the  Spaniards,  of 
the  efficiency  of  an  American  vessel  of  war,  and  the  spirit 
which  animated  its  commander.  Porter  had  now  heen 
nearly  five  years  in  the  Mediterranean,  and  the  Barbary 
pirates  being  all  comparatively  quiet  he  returned  to  the 
United  States. 

On  the  22d  of  April,  1806,  he  received  his  commission 
as  Master  Commandant  (commander).  At  this  time 
congress  authorized  the  president  to  employ  as  many  pub- 
lic vessels  as  he  might  deem  proper,  but  limiting  the 
number  of  officers  and  seamen.  By  this  act,  the  number  of 
captains  was  increased  to  13,  and  that  of  master  command- 
ant to  8  —  Porter  standing  number  5  on  the  list  of  the 
latter.  At  this  time  the  navy,  considering  its  record  and 
the  necessity  which  existed  of  keeping  up  a  respectable 
force,  had  fallen  into  rather  a  disreputable  condition  as 
regarded  the  vessels.  The  Tripolitan  war  had  been  rather 
an  expensive  affair  for  those  days,  and  it  was  no  sooner 
over  and  the  matters  of  dispute  arranged  with  the  other 
Barbary  powers,  than  the  government  proceeded  to  hastily 
reduce  the  navy  expenses  within  the  limit  of  their  resources. 
Unfortunately,  they  proceeded  to  an  extreme  economy  not 
justified  by  the  financial  condition  of  the  country,  which 
was  certainly  able  to  maintain  as  large  a  navy  as  the  one 
we  had  on  hand  when  hostilities  with  Tripoli  terminated ; 
but  no  effort  seems  to  have  been  made  to  increase  the  navy 
so  that  it  might  be  useful  in  the  future.  Our  commerce 
had  extended  to  a  remarkable  degree,  and  the  sails  of  our 
merchant  ships  whitened  every  sea.  Our  enterprising 
countrymen  were  now  competing  successfully  with  Great 
Britain,  a  fact  which  began  to  attract  the  attention  of  the 
British  government,  who  ever  alive  to  their  own  interests 
began  to  manifest  towards  us  those  unfriendly  feelings 
which  finally  brought  us  into  hostile  collision  with  them. 
The  policy  of  our  people,  then  as  now,  seemed  to  be  averse 
to  maintaining  a  naval  establishment  of  any  size,  although 
our  political  relations  were  never  free  from  embarrassment, 
and  we  were  open  to  the  aggressions  of  the  smallest  naval 
power  which  chose  to  be  unfriendly  towards  us.  Our 
coasts  and  harbors  were  notoriously  indefensible,  except 
by  a  naval  force ;  yet  it  was  now  determined  to  introduce 


70  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

a  new  system  to  protect  our  shores,  which  it  is  certain 
could  not  have  been  thought  of  had  the  naval  element 
possessed  any  influence  in  the  administration  of  the  de- 
partment. This  was  the  famous  "  gun  boat  system,"  of 
which  so  much  was  expected  and  from  which  so  little  was 
realized.  During  the  time  the  discussions  were  going  on, 
in  congress,  in  relation  to  abolishing  the  old  system  and 
adopting  the  new,  there  was  little  employment  for  officers, 
notwithstanding  the  small  number  retained  in  the  navy ; 
consequently  Porter  was  not  able  to  get  a  command  afloat. 
He  was  now  at  the  age  of  twenty-six,  a  commander  after 
only  eight  years'  service,  a  rapid  promotion  compared  with 
the  present  day,  when  a  man  under  thirty  is  hardly  con- 
sidered competent  to  take  charge  of  a  steamer's  deck ! 
There  must  be  something  radically  wrong  in  the  present 
condition  of  affairs  unless  we  are  to  believe  that  very  in- 
experienced officers  were  in  early  days  placed  in  command 
of  our  ships  of  war.  As  the  results  obtained  at  that  time 
were  in  most  instances  highly  satisfactory  to  the  govern- 
ment and  people,  perhaps  it  would  be  well  to  introduce  the 
same  system  again  in  the  service. 

The  great  success  of  our  infant  navy  was  mainly  owing 
to  the  indomitable  energy  and  fearless  bravery  which  are  the 
concomitants  of  vigorous  youth,  and  those  dashing  quali- 
ties are  often  more  than  a  match  for  the  vaunted  experi- 
ence which  is  too  often  accompanied  by  timidity,  when 
the  blood  is  beginning  to  circulate  sluggishly.  Age  has 
its  attributes  and  is  valuable  in  council,  but  it  would  be 
unnatural,  when  the  vigor  and  elasticity  of  youth  are  gone, 
to  expect  successes  such  as  would  be  secured  by  younger 
and  hardier  men. 

When  naval  officers  are  unemployed  they  are  apt  to 
seek  solace  in  the  society  of  the  softer  sex,  a  rule  to 
which,  as  we  shall  see.  Commander  Porter  was  no  ex- 
ception. Hitherto,  during  his  eventful  life,  he  had  had 
few  opportunities  to  mingle  in  society,  and  the  only 
woman  who  had  held  a  place  in  his  heart  was  his  good 
mother,  whose  death  had  caused  him  great  affliction.  This 
void  in  his  aff'ections  had  to  be  filled,  and  with  his  natural 
impetuosity  he  set  about  filling  it.  Commodore  Tingey, 
who  then  commanded  the   Washington   navy  yard,  had 


Memoir  of  Commodoee  David  Porter.  71 

visiting  in  his  family  a  very  pretty  young  lady,  Miss  Eve- 
lina Anderson,  daughter  of  William  Anderson,  a  wealthy 
gentleman  of  Chester  (Pennsylvania),  and  a  member  of 
congress  from  that  district.  "When  Commander  Porter 
was  introduced  to  the  young  lady  he  found  her  playing 
with  a  doll ;  for  although  she  was  in  society  she  had  just 
left  school,  and  was  barely  fifteen  years  of  age.  As,  in 
duty  bound,  he  fell  in  love  with  the  young  lady,  and 
after  a  very  short  courtship  solicited  her  hand,  and  was 
referred  by  Commodore  Tingey  to  Mr.  Anderson  (the 
young  lady's  father),  wno  was  at  the  time  in  Chester,  Penn. 
Commander  Porter  posted  at  once  to  Chester,  and  the 
family  being  apprised  of  his  coming  had  prepared  to  give 
him  a  flat  refusal,  for  a  naval  officer  was  considered  by  no 
means  an  eligible  match,  his  pay  being  small  and  his  rov- 
ing life  a  bar  to  connubial  happiness.  The  young  lady's 
only  brother,  Mr.  Thomas  Anderson,  was  highly  indig- 
nant at  the  idea  of  a  naval  officer  wanting  to  marry  his 
sister ;  and,  being,  in  his  own  opinion,  somewhat  of  a  fire 
eater,  he  was  deputed  by  the  family  to  receive  the  auda- 
cious suitor  (instead  of  the  more  amiable  and  yielding 
father),  and  give  him  a  flat  refusal,  the  young  lady's  feel- 
ings not  being  taken  into  consideration'  at  all.  So  when 
Porter  made  his  appearance  he  was  shown  into  the  parlor, 
whither  young  Anderson  soon  repaired,  and  in  a  freezing 
tone  asked  him  his  business.  The  young  officer  replied 
that  he  wished  to  see  Mr.  William  Anderson  in  relation  to 
his  daughter,  and  could  only  communicate  to  that  gentle- 
man what  he  had  to  say.  "  Then  sir,"  said  the  brother, 
"  you  have  come  on  a  fool's  errand,  my  father  cannot  see 
you  and  you  cannot  marry  my  sister  or  be  connected  with 
this  family."  The  Commander  jumped  from  his  chair,  his 
eyes  flashing  fire.  ''  Sir,"  he  exclaimed,  "you  are  meddle- 
ing  in  a  matter  that  does  not  concern  you.  I  came  here 
about  marrying  your  sister,  I  didn't  come  to  marry  you, 
and  d — n  you  if  you  don't  leave  the  room  Pll  throw  you 
out  of  the  window."  The  young  gentleman  was  (][uite 
taken  aback,  and  thinking  the  fierce  looking  little  fellow 
might  carry  out  his  threat,  and  that  discretion  was  the 
better  part  of  valor,  sought  his  father,  whom  he  informed 
that  there  was  a  piratical  looking  man  down  stairs  who  in- 


72  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

sisted  upon  marrying  his  sister ;  he  was  certain  that  the 
man  would  cut  every  body's  throat  if  he  didn't  get  her, 
and  he  washed  his  hands  of  the  matter.  The  result  was 
that  after  a  week's  acquaintance  all  the  family  took  a 
great  liking  to  the  would  be  bridegroom,  and  the  re- 
quired consent  was  given  to  the  marriage.  Young  Ander- 
son, who  had  a  strong  sense  of  humor,  often  related  this 
incident  to  show  Porter's  rough  way  of  wooing,  which  was 
in  fact  his  impulsive  manner  of  doing  everything. 

Commander  Porter  and  Miss  Anderson  were  married  on 
the  10th  of  March  1808,  and  received  as  their  marriage 
present  from  the  young  lady's  father,  what  was  at  that 
time  a  very  handsome  residence  on  the  banks  of  the  Dela- 
ware in  the  borough  of  Chester.  The  house  though  erected 
in  1721,  as  shown  by  an  inscription  on  the  gable,  is  still 
standing  and  the  massive  stone  walls  are  yet  in  good  pre- 
servation. It  was  originally  the  residence  of  the  colonial 
governor,  and  still  remains  in  possession  of  the  family. 

The  Commander  was  not  long  permitted  to  indulge  in  the 
quiet  of  domestic  life,  but  was  soon  called  away  to  active 
duty,  where  we  propose  to  follow  him. 


CHAPTER  YI. 


JL  RIOR  to  1800,  when  Louisiana  was  tributary  to  Spain, 
there  had  been  granted  to  the  United  States,  by  treaty 
with  that  power,  the  right  of  deposit  at  New  Orleans,  which 
right  was  reserved  in  the  treaty  ceding  Louisiana  to  France. 
The  suspension  of  this  privilege  by  his  Catholic  majesty, 
created  a  great  sensation  throughout  the  country  bordering 
on  the  Mississippi  and  its  tributaries ;  for  it  was  evident 
that  the  continuation  of  this  prohibition  would  be  very  in- 
jurious to  the  United  States ;  and  it  was  agreed,  that  an 
appeal  to  arms  would  be  far  preferable  to  quiet  submission 


Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter.  73 

to  an  edict,  that  would  shut  us  out  from  the  navigation  of 
the  great  outlet  to  the  ocean.  In  the  first  excitement, 
congress,  moved  by  a  determination  to  maintain  our 
boundaries  and  commercial  rights,  prepared  for  an  appeal 
to  arms  in  case  of  a  failure  in  negotiations ;  and  hence 
originated  the  act  requiring  a  certain  number  of  gun  boats 
to  be  built  and  equipped  to  be  used  as  the  president  might 
think  proper;  but  when  the  matter  was  investigated,  it 
seems  to  have  been  the  opinion  that  the  breach  of  contract 
was  the  unauthorized  misconduct  of  the  local  authorities 
rather  than  an  intentional  violation  of  the  treaty  on  the 
part  of  the  home  government.  Upon  this  the  United  States 
government  ceased  the  equipment  of  gun  boats  intended 
for  the  Mississippi. 

When,  in  1803,  Louisiana  was  ceded  to  the  United  States, 
fifteen  of  these  gun  boats  were  finished  and  sent  to  N'ew 
Orleans  to  assist  in  maintaining  the  authority  of  the 
government  among  what  was  then  a  very  turbulent  popu- 
lation. A  station  was  established  at  'New  Orleans  in  com- 
mand of  a  naval  officer  who  was  entrusted  with  far  greater 
powers  than  he  would  be  at  the  present  day,  and  the 
officers  and  men  under  his  command  amounted  to  nearly 
four  hundred.  This  was  the  origin  of  the  gun  boat  system 
which  subsequently  increased  to  such  proportions  as  to 
almost  swamp  the  navy,  although  for  most  of  the  duties  of 
vessels  of  war  the  gun  boats  were  totally  useless.  As  it 
may  not  be  uninteresting  to  follow  up  the  increase  of  this 
kind  of  force,  and  to  note  the  various  circumstances  that 
occasioned  it,  I  present  a  brief  summary  of  the  progress  of 
a  system  from  which  so  much  was  expected  and  so  little 
realized. 

On  the  2d  of  March,  1805,  twenty-five  additional  gun 
boats  were  authorized.  Several  distinguished  naval  officers 
were  consulted  as  to  the  efficiency  of  these  vessels  for 
harbor  defense,  and  they  all  agreed  that  in  conjunction 
with  land  batteries  they  might,  if  well  armed  and  manned, 
be  very  useful ;  but  this  recommendation  only  extended  to 
a  particular  kind  of  service.  At  that  time  our  coasts  were 
infested  by  foreign  vessels  of  war  which  paid  little  regard 
to  our  neutrality.  ^Americans  were  looked  upon  as  a  set 
of  traders  too  mean  to  have  a  naval  policy,  and  who  would 
10 


74  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

not  resist  encroacbment  at  the  risk  of  involving  themselves 
in  war.  Our  harbors  had  also  been  watched  by  private 
armed  vessels  which  had  committed  piratical  acts  beyond 
the  authority  of  their  commissions.  The  president,  accord- 
ingly, fitted  out  a  small  squadron  to  cruise  on  our  coasts  to 
arrest  all  such  offenders  for  trial  as  pirates.  The  public 
armed  vessels  of  foreign  powers  were  hardly  less  oppressive 
to  our  commerce,  and  in  fact  we  were  considered  fair  game 
for  anybody  to  pluck,  and  actually  invited  aggression  by 
failing  to  keep  up  a  naval  force  adequate  to  the  wants  of 
the  country.  In  consequence  of  having  their  attention 
called  to  these  aggressions,  by  the  president,  congress 
passed  an  act  to  hmld  Jifty  more  gun  boats  !  although  half 
a  dozen  brigs  or  schooners  would  have  been  ten  times  as 
efiicient.  The  capture  of  the  Chesapeake  on  the  22d  of 
June,  1807,  aroused  a  feeling  of  indignation  throughout 
the  United  States  and,  consequently,  on  the  18th  of  De- 
cember, of  that  year,  congress  enacted  that  the  number  of 
gun  boats  should  be  increased  to  one  hundred  and  eighty-eight 
Of  these  gun  boats  it  may  be  remarked  that  they  were  ab- 
solutely useless  except  as  an  auxiliary  to  fortifications  or 
for  the  defense  of  shallow  waters. 

The  first  gun  boats  for  service  in  the  waters  of  Louisiana 
were  built  under  the  superintendence  of  Commander  John 
Shaw,  the  ofiS.cer  who  made  such  a  brilliant  record  while 
in  command  of  the  Enterprise  during  the  French  war,  who 
in  1806,  was  ordered  to  command  all  the  naval  forces  in 
the  waters  of  the  new  territory  of  Louisiana.  Shaw  re- 
tained this  command  until  the  close  of  1807,  when  he  and 
Porter  were  members  of  Barron's  court  martial.  At  the 
close  of  the  trial.  Porter  in  1808,  just  after  his  marriage, 
was  ordered  to  proceed  to  New  Orleans  and  ^assume  com- 
mand of  all  the  naval  forces,  including  the  station  on  shore, 
and  the  naval  forces  afloat  consisting  of  some  twenty  of 
the  aforementioned  gun  boats.  This  was  an  important 
appointment,  as  great  responsibility  devolved  on  the  Com- 
mander, who  being  far  from  the  seat  of  government  was 
frequently  called  upon  to  act  in  very  delicate  cases.  The 
government  at  that  time  seemed  to  be  always  in  great  fear 
of  becoming  involved  in  war,  and  had  submitted  to  every 
conceivable  humiliation  to  avoid  such  a  contingency;  and 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  75 

although  eminently  successful  in  redressing  grievances 
when  the  task  was  once  fairly  undertaken,  they  had  not 
learned  from  past  experience  how  to  provide  against  ag- 
gressions. 

The  bays  and  inlets  of  Louisiana  were  the  rendezvous 
of  privateers  and  pirates  claiming  to  sail  under  the  flags  of 
England,  France  and  Spain.  These  gentry  were  continually 
hovering  on  our  coasts,  and  in  default  of  finding  enemy's 
ships  would  seize  upon  our  own,  upon  one  pretext  or  another, 
for  which  outrages  our  people  obtained  little  redress.  isTew 
Orleans  being  at  that  time  an  ungarrisoned  place,  not 
frequented  by  foreign  ships  of  war,  many  of  the  privateers 
resorted  there  for  supplies  ;  and,  as  they  spent  their  money 
freely,  the  local  authorities  rather  encouraged  their  pre- 
sence. These  desperadoes,  mixing  with  the  dissolute  part 
of  the  population,  kept  the  town  in  a  continual  state  of 
turmoil.  During  the  administration  of  Governor  Claiborne 
in  Louisiana,  in  1807,  the  greatest  excitement  prevailed  in 
regard  to  the  alleged  design  of  Aaron  Burr  to  seize  the 
city  of  New  Orleans,  and  take  from  the  banks  the  large 
amount  of  specie  therein  deposited.  The  apprehension 
that  Burr  had  many  adherents  among  the  desperate  cha- 
racters who  infested  ]^ew  Orleans,  intensified  this  feeling 
of  dread.  General  Wilkinson  had  been  ordered  to  Louis- 
iana with  a  large  body  of  troops,  and  the  officer  in  com- 
mand of  the  naval  station,  anticipating  an  attack  from  some 
quarter,  had,  on  his  own  responsibility,  enlisted  four 
hundred  seamen  to  man  the  gun  boats,  and  afford  assist- 
ance to  the  civil  authorities  in  case  of  necessity.  Governor 
Claiborne  writing  to  the  federal  government  says  :  "  My 
solemn  belief  is,  that  the  seizure  of  this  city  and  her  riches 
was  the  primary  object  of  the  conspirators,  and  the  dis- 
memberment of  the  union  the  ultimate  aim  of  the  leaders. 
I  believe  the  horrid  plot  has  been  promoted  by  foreign 
influence,  and  that  Spain  has  furnished  Burr  with  his 
pecuniary  means,"  etc.  It  may  be  conceived  how  excited 
the  people  must  have  been  at  the  rumors  of  Burr's  opera- 
tions along  the  Mississippi,  and  the  movements  of  their 
Spanish  neighbors,  who  were  supposed  to  be  endeavoring 
to  narrow  the  western  limits  of  the  United  States  by  incit- 
ing dissensions  among   our   people.     TsTew   Orleans   was 


76  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

tremendously  excited.  When  the  arrest  of  Burr  put  an 
end  to  this  excitement,  other  troubles  arose ;  for  New- 
Orleans  was  never  quiet  for  any  length  of  time  ;  an  emeute 
was  always  forthcoming  on  the  slightest  provocation. 

On  the  fourth  of  July,  1807,  several  gun  boats  were 
anchored  off  the  city,  and  a  planter  in  their  vicinity  under- 
took to  whip  a  female  slave,  whose  shrieks  being  heard  by 
the  naval  officers,  three  of  them  accompanied  by  a  few 
sailors  entered  the  planter's  enclosure  and  released  the 
woman  by  force.  This  affair  caused  another  tremendous 
excitement,  and  the  fury  of  the  populace  could  hardly  be 
controlled.  The  naval  officers  were  looked  upon  in  a 
measure  as  the  tools  of  an  oppressive  government.  In  the 
case  of  Edward  Livingston,  the  navy  had  to  be  called  into 
support  the  local  government  in  putting  down  a  tumult 
that  was  near  ending  in  bloodshed,  and  in  fact  there  were 
so  many  ''  choice  spirits "  in  and  around  'New  Orleans 
always  ready  for  desperate  enterprises,  that  the  forces  of 
the  army  and  navy  were  always  in  readiness  to  preserve 
order. 

It  was  just  after  the  Livingston  affair,  and  in  the  midst 
of  excitement,  that  Commander  Porter  was  ordered  to 
Kew  Orleans.  The  appointment  was  a  high  compliment, 
the  general  government  evidently  placing  great  reliance 
on  his  ability  to  assist  the  territorial  governor  in  putting  a 
stop  to  any  measures  which  might  affect  our  interests.  In 
the  beginning  of  August,  1808,  just  after  Commander 
Porter  had  relieved  the  naval  officer  in  command  at  l^ew 
Orleans,  several  serious  affrays  between  American  sailors 
and  French,  Spaniards  and  Italians  of  the  same  class  took 
place,  which  occasioned  the  governor  great  uneasiness. 
The  contending  parties  met  on  the  levee  in  battle  array, 
and  many  were  killed  and  wounded  on  both  sides.  Some 
persons  supposed  that  the  foreign  sailors  had  been  stimu- 
lated to  this  quarrel,  in  order  to  cover  a  more  dangerous 
conspiracy ;  but,  whatever  might  be  the  cause  of  these 
riots,  there  was  certainly  a  large  number  of  dangerous 
characters  in  Il^ew  Orleans  requiring  the  utmost  vigilance 
on  the  part  of  the  authorities  to  keep  them  in  subjection. 
At  this  time  the  celebrated  embargo  was  declared  by  the 
United  States,  and  war,  at  any  time,  was  now  expected 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  77 

with  Great  Britain.  To  complete  the  list  of  troubles  ever 
since  the  cession  of  Louisiana  to  the  Union,  constant  losses 
had  been  experienced  by  the  inhabitants  living  near  the 
borders  of  the  Spanish  possessions,  and  many  Escaped 
negroes  resorted  to  the  protection  of  the  Spanish  flag.  At 
]N'achidoches,  large  numbers  of  negroes,  mounting  the 
Spanish  cockade,  had  marched  off  to  Spanish  territory, 
singing  "  Long  live  Ferdinand  the  seventh."  Under  the 
circumstances,  it  was  not  unlikely  that  we  would  soon 
have  war  with  England  and  Spain  at  the  same  time. 
About  the  only  defense  to  the  Mississippi  river  at  this 
critical  moment  was  its  strong  current,  and  there  was  no 
knowing  when  a  hostile  fleet  might  overcome  that  obstacle 
and  appear  before  New  Orleans. 

The  census  of  1806,  showed  the  entire  population  of  the 
territory  to  be  52,900  souls,  of  which  nearly  one-half  were 
slaves,  and  upwards  of  three  thousand  free  people  of  color, 
leaving  but  26,069  white  persons.  Of  these  13,500  were 
natives  of  the  territory  and  descended  from  French  an- 
cestors, and  only  3,500  were  natives  of  the  United  States. 
The  rest  of  the  inhabitants  were  made  up  from  a  mix- 
ture of  all  the  nations  of  Europe,  who  were  loyal  to  that 
extent  that  they  did  not  care  to  risk  their  lives  against  a 
foreign  foe  who  was  their  superior.  All  together  the  con- 
dition of  afiairs,  while  Porter  was  in  command  of  the  New 
Orleans  station,  was  anything  but  pleasant,  and  under 
frequently  embarrassing  circumstances,  he  acquitted  him- 
self with  great  credit.  In  fact  he  never  exhibited  greater 
judgment  than  he  showed  amid  the  difficulties  which  sur- 
rounded him  in  New  Orleans. 

Owing  to  the  several  attempts  to  obstruct  the  execution 
of  the  laws,  congress  by  an  act  approved  March  3d,  1807, 
authorized  the  president  "  in  all  cases  of  insurrection  or 
obstruction  of  the  laws,  either  of  the  United  States  or  any 
individual  state  or  territory,  where  it  is  lawful  for  the 
president  to  call  forth  the  militia,  for  the  purpose  of  sup- 
pressing such  insurrection,  or  of  causing  the  laws  to  be 
duly  executed,  it  shall  be  lawful  for  him  to  employ  for  the 
same  purpose  such  part  of  the  land  and  naval  forces  of  the 
United  States  as  shall  be  adjudged  necessary."  This  act 
legalized  all  naval  proceedings  at  New  Orleans. 


78  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

So  many  illegal  acts  had  been  committed  by  the  pri- 
vateers of  the  several  European  powers  that  were  warring 
against  each  other,  that  congress,  on  the  representation  of 
the  executive,  felt  justified  in  passing  the  "  Restricting 
act,"  compelling  all  vessels  within  the  waters  of  the  United 
States  to  abstain  from  interfering  with  European  com- 
merce or  our  own,  under  the  penalty  of  confiscation ;  yet 
notwithstanding  the  careful  wording  of  these  laws,  the 
privateers  found  little  diflS.culty  in  evading  them,  and  made 
^^Tew  Orleans  the  place  of  sale  for  their  illicit  gains.  The 
sea,  in  fact,  at  that  time  swarmed  with  legalized  pirates ; 
and  the  Spanish  government,  and  our  own,  were  oflfering 
large  rewards  to  any  one  who  would  capture  certain 
French  freebooters  that  had  been  depredating  on  their 
commerce.  These  bounties  amounting  to  upwards  of 
$80,000,  were  offered  as  an  additional  stimulus  to  officers 
and  men  to  perform  their  duty. 

Commander  Porter,  on  his  arrival  at  l^ew  Orleans,  found 
a  very  loose  state  of  affairs  prevailing,  so  far  as  related  to 
the  execution  of  the  law  against  the  illegal  proceedings  of 
the  privateers,  but  in  a  manner  his  hands  were  tied.  The 
district  attorney  evidently  winked  at  the  piracies  com- 
mitted in  our  waters  and  at  the  open  communication  kept 
up  between  these  depredators  and  the  citizens  of  l^ew 
Orleans.  At  first.  Commander  Porter  could  see  no  way 
of  preventing  these  illegal  proceedings  without  coming  in 
collision  with  the  civil  authorities,  at  that  time  considered 
a  very  reprehensible  matter,  and  incurring  the  censure  of 
the  administration.  Politics  too  ran  very  high  at  the  time, 
and  a  naval  officer,  without  influence,  had  to  exercise  great 
caution  to  avoid  having  his  head  cut  off',  politically.  An 
opportunity,  however,  soon  occurred  which  enabled  Por- 
ter to  ascertain  how  far  his  authority  extended  to  prevent 
the  violation  of  the  restriction  laws,  and  whether  the 
honest  efforts  of  an  officer  to  maintain  these  laws  would 
have  the  support  of  the  administration.  He  had  hardly 
reached  'New  Orleans  before  he  was  taken  down  with  the 
yellow  fever  and  laid  many  days  at  the  point  of  death;  but, 
as  soon  as  he  could  get  about,  he  commenced  enforcing  the 
restriction  laws,  much  to  the  chagrin  of  the  district  at- 
torney, who  was  evidently  opposed  to  all  his  measures. 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  79 

Three  French  privateers  came  into  the  Mississippi  river 
and  anchored  at  the  place  now  called  Pilot  Town,  their 
nominal  object  being  refreshment  and  repairs.     One  of 
these  was  the  Montebello,  a  large  schooner  of  fourteen 
guns.    She  had  been  fitted  out  at  Baltimore,  and  had  had  her 
guns  put  on  board  at  sea.     This  was  one  of  the  vessels  for 
which  Spain  and  the  United  States  had  offered  a  reward. 
Another  one  of  the  vessels,  the  Intrepid,  was  a  large  Spanish 
built   schooner    sailing    under   a   commission    originally 
granted  to  a  pirogue.    She  was  heavily  manned  and  armed. 
The  third  privateer,  the  Petite  Chance,  was  a  schooner  the 
strength  of  which  is  unknown  to  us.     As  soon  as  Com- 
mander Porter  heard  of  their  arrival  he  repaired  to  Pilot 
Town  with  a  force  of  gun  boats,  and  anchored  where  his 
guns  would  bear  upon  the  privateers ;  at  the  same  time, 
calling  on  them  to  surrender  for  a  violation  of  the  restrict- 
ive  acts.     At  first  they  refused,   being   advised   by  the 
district  attorney  that  a  naval  officer  had  no  authority  to 
detain  them ;  and  he  urged  the  Commander  to  let  them 
depart,  which  the  privateers  agreed  to  do  and  also  to  leave 
the  waters  of  the  United  States.     The  many  friends  of  the 
buccaneers,  in  I^ew  Orleans,  made  every  exertion  to  obtain 
permission  for  them  to  depart,  and  a  direct  conflict  arose 
between  the  civil   and  naval  authority,  which  culminated 
when  Commander  Porter  informed  the  privateer  captains 
that  in  default  of  their  immediate  surrender  he  should 
open  fire.     The  vessels  were  decidedly  superior  to  Porter's 
gun  boats  in  force,  and  their  captains  were  disposed  to  re- 
sist, but  the  crews  refusing  to  fight,  the  privateer's  colors 
were  hauled  down.     As  the  law  gave  an  officer  no  power 
to  detain  the  crews,  the  latter  were  permitted  to  go  up  to 
-N'ew  Orleans,  and  the  vessels  were  soon  after  taken  to  that 
place  and  moored  to  the  levee  under  the  guns  of  the  navy. 
The  city  was  thrown  into  an  uproar  by  the  arrival  of 
these  privateersmen,  who  roamed  the  streets  at  will,  com- 
mitting  all   sorts   of  excesses,   and    confident  from   the 
representations  of  their  friend,  the  district  attorney,  that 
the  vessels  would  soon  be  released.     Commander  Porter 
having  libelled  these  vessels  as  prizes,  it  became  the  duty 
of  the  district  attorney  to  prosecute  them  on  behalf  of  the 
government.     The  case  was  a   perfectly  plain  one,  and 


80  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

under  an  honest  official  there  could  have  been  no  doubt  of 
the  result.  The  district  attorney  had  in  the  first  place 
declined  to  consider  the  vessels  as  derelict,  but  when  as- 
sured by  Commander  Porter  that  he  would  send  them 
north  for  adjudication,  both  the  district  attorney  and  the 
governor  of  the  territory  withdrew  their  objections  and  the 
former  consented  to  prosecute  the  case.  As  Porter  had  no 
confidence  in  this  person,  he  took  care  to  associate  with 
him  able  counsel  upon  whom  he  could  rely.  While  the 
subject  of  libelling  the  vessels  was  merely  a  subject  of  dis- 
cussion their  crews  committed  no  overt  acts,  but  the 
moment  the  case  came  into  court  they  assumed  a  threaten- 
ing attitude,  thronging  into  the  court  room  and  trying  to 
overawe  the  judge,  but  a  guard  of  marines  soon  put  a  stop 
to  their  demonstrations.  They  then  threatened  Porter 
with  personal  violence,  but  he  continued  to  walk  the  streets 
as  usual,  accompanied  only  by  his  orderly,  although  taking 
the  precaution  to  keep  a  guard  near  his  quarters  at  night. 

Through  the  efibrts  of  Commander  Porter  all  three  of 
the  prizes  were  condemned  and  sold,  and  the  proceeds 
divided  among  the  captors,  after  taking  out  the  largest 
share  in  fees  to  the  lawyers  and  officers  of  the  court,  in 
which  distribution  the  district  attorney  was  not  too  con- 
scientious to  participate.  Thus  was  broken  up  a  formida- 
ble nest  of  pirates  (for  they  were  nothing  better),  through 
the  untiring  energy  of  a  fearless  officer. 

These  prize  cases  gave  Porter  a  great  deal  of  trouble, 
from  first  to  last,  from  the  fact  that  the  legal  authorities, 
whose  duty  it  was  to  prosecute  them,  not  only  placed  every 
obstruction  in  the  way ;  but,  when  the  prizes  were  con- 
demned, it  was  supposed  induced  the  captains  to  bring 
suit  against  Porter  for  detaining  them.  Out  of  the  prize 
money.  Porter  bound  himself  to  pay  half  the  proceeds  to 
the  captors.  Twenty  per  cent  of  his  own  portion  went 
towards  paying  lawyers  fees  and  all  contingent  expenses, 
and  he  was  held  accountable  for  damages  in  case  of  a  de- 
cision against  him.  He  had  to  defend  the  Montebello 
against  a  suit  brought  after  her  condemnation.  He  also 
had  to  make  arrangements  to  defend  the  Petite  Chance  in 
the  supreme  court  of  the  United  States,  to  which  an  appeal 
from  the  district  court  decision  was  taken.     Edward  Liv- 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  81 

ingston,  Porter's  counsel,  received  five  per  cent  of  the  net 
proceeds  of  his  fourth,  leaving  him  in  the  end  with  very 
little  prize  money. 

The  reward  offered  by  the  authorities  of  Havana  was  a 
subscription  from  the  Spanish  merchants,  offering  $60,000 
for  the  capture  .of  the  three  vessels,  Montebello,  Intrepid 
and  Petite  Chance.  When  the  condemnation  was  an  esta- 
blished fact,  Commander  Porter  put  in  an  application  for 
this  sum,  giving  the  necessary  proof;  but,  although  the 
Spanish  authorities  acknowledged  the  great  value  of  the 
service  rendered  to  Spanish  commerce,  yet  they  declined 
to  pay  the  reward  without  an  order  from  the  home  govern- 
ment. The  captain,  who  had  gone  to  Havana  in  reference 
to  this  business,  was  kept  so  long  dancing  attendance  that 
he  was  nearly  impoverished.  The  reward  promised  was 
never  paid,  though  in  1826,  when  Porter  was  offered  the 
position  of  commander-in-chief  of  the  Mexican  navy,  the 
Spanish  government,  through  their  minister  at  Washington, 
offered  to  pay  him  the  whole  amount  with  interest,  if  he 
would  decline  the  offer  of  the  Mexicans,  which  proposition 
he  proudly  spurned.  In  the  end  he  had  the  satisfaction 
of  costing  the  Spaniards  many  times  the  amount  so  unjustly 
withheld  from  him. 

On  Commander  Porter's  return  from  ^ew  Orleans,  he 
was  directed  to  settle  his  accounts.  He  had  credited  him- 
self with  double  rations,  to  which  he  was  entitled  ;  but,  it 
appears  that  this  had  been  checked  against  him  during  the 
two  years  he  remained  in  command.  He  had  long  been 
disgusted  with  the  management  of  naval  affairs,  and  he  had 
no  confidence  in  its  justice.  The  government,  instead  ot 
helping  him  to  secure  the  rights  he  had  honestly  gained, 
gave  themselves  very  little  trouble  in  the  matter,  on  the 
contrary  opposed  him.  The  different  kinds  of  duty  an 
officer  had  to  perform  then  on  the  pay  of  subordinate  rank, 
was  another  source  of  disgust,  and  to  crown  all,  the  Com- 
mander was  outraged  by  the  manner  in  which  our  country 
was  constantly  humiliated  by  England,  without  a  declara- 
tion of  war.  Writing  to  his  friend.  Purser  Samuel  Hamble- 
ton  of  the  navy,  he  says  in  regard  to  this  matter :  "  What 
more  can  the  English  do  to  us  than  they  have  done,  and 
11 


82  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

why  should  we  submit  to  these  things  for  the  sake  of 
saving  our  commerce  ?  There  are  some  things  dearer  to  a 
nation  than  the  wealth  of  its  citizens  on  shore  or  on  the 
ocean,  and  that  is  its  honor,  and  when  we  fail  to  esteem 
that  in  advance  of  all  else,  we  will  stand  poor  indeed  in 
the  world's  estimation."  In  consequence  of  his  dissatis- 
faction Commander  Porter  tendered  his  resignation  in 
July,  1810,  but  received  from  the  secretary  of  the  navy  a 
very  complimentary  letter  declining  to  accept  it,  urging 
the  Commander  to  remain  in  the  navy  as  his  services  would 
shortly  be  wanted  "  to  resist  the  wrongs  and  support  the 
rights  of  the  country." 

Soon  after  Commander  Porter  was  promised  the  com- 
mand of  the  Essex,  to  which  his  only  objection  was  that 
it  was  not  right  to  expect  him  to  fill  a  captain's  position 
without  giving  him  the  pay  of  that  rank.  But  as  there 
was  a  prospect  of  war  he  waived  all  personal  considerations 
and  concluded  to  remain  in  the  navy ;  he  positively  de- 
clined to  remain  in  l^ew  Orleans,  the  two  years  that  he 
had  served  there  in  command  satisfied  him  that  he  was 
not  calculated  to  come  in  contact  with  the  military  autho- 
rities or  politicians  in  that  quarter.  "He  was  satiated 
with  Governor  Claiborne's  vanity,  and  with  General  Wil- 
kinson's pomposity,  and  was  convinced  that  they  all  looked 
upon  the  country  as  a  big  orange  which  they  had  a  good 
right  to  squeeze."  Porter  set  his  face  against  their  opera- 
tions on  the  domain  under  his  charge,  and  found  himself 
opposed  by  a  swarm  of  enemies  of  whom  he  never  dreamed. 

The  general  government  finally  approved  of  Porter's 
whole  course  in  regard  to  the  prizes,  and  made  him  prize 
agent  to  distribute  the  proceeds.  When  he  died  minister 
at  Constantinople  his  accounts  were  audited  and  found 
entirely  correct,  but  this  §25000  prize  money  was  checked 
against  his  estate  thirty-eight  years  after  it  had  been  dis- 
tributed ;  and  his  family,  to  whom  he  could  leave  nothing, 
were  kept  out  of  the  balance  of  pay  due  him  as  minister 
until  the  prize  lists  were  found  filed  among  his  papers,  and 
his  last  accounts  with  the  government  were  closed  in  1846  !  ! 

These  proceedings  against  the  privateers  were  soon 
noised  abroad,  and  during  the  rest  of  the  time  Porter 
commanded  the  IlTew  Orleans  station  there  were  few  in- 


Memoir  of  Commodoee  David  Porter.  83 

fractions  of  the  restricting  laws.     While  in  command  at 
l^ew  Orleans  his  father,  David  Porter  senior,  was  ordered 
to  report  to  him  for  duty.     The  elder  Porter  had  received 
from  President  Washington  the  appointment  of  sailing- 
master  in  the  navy,  which  had  been  reconfirmed  to  him 
on  the  3d  of  September,  1807,  and  he  desired  to  pass  his 
declining  years  under  his  son's  roof.     Mr.  Porter's  duties 
were  merely  nominal,  but  he  took  great  delight  in  serving 
under  his  son's  command,  and  these  were  probably  the 
happiest  hours  of  his  life.     The  old  gentleman  who  had 
served  faithfully  during  the  revolution  was  a  man  of  fine 
nautical  ability  and  with  a  strong  sense  of  humor.     He  was 
the  author  of  some  amusing  works,  and  edited  an  edition 
of  Falconefs   Shipwreck,   with   characteristic  notes.      His 
great  work  was  a  treatise  on  The  Origin  of  Man,  in  which 
he  showed  conclusively  that  human  beings  were  gradually 
developed  from  jelly  fish  into  mermen  and  thence  to  their 
present  form.     This  was  a  satire  on  the  predecessors  of 
Darwin,  who  were  then  promulgating  their  strange  theo- 
ries,  but  was   particularly   aimed  ^t  the    famous   Lord 
Monboddo,  who  had  advanced  the  extraordinary  idea  that 
the  human  race  are  nothing  but  a  lot  of  monkeys  who  had 
worn  off  their  tails  by  sitting  for  so  many  ages  on  hard 
bottomed  chairs  !     Strange  to  say  the  death  of  this  genial 
old  gentleman   was  the   means  of  introducing  into  the 
naval   service  one  of  our  most  renowned  naval  officers, 
David  Glascoe  Farragut.     While  the  elder  Porter  was  one 
day  fishing  on  Lake  Ponchartrain,  he  had  a  stroke  of  the 
sun,  and  was  found  by  Mr.  Farragut,  the  father  of  the 
future  admiral  (who  was  also  out  fishing),  in  an  exhausted 
condition.     Mr.  Farragut  took  the  sick  man  to  his  home 
on  the  banks  of  the  lake,  where  he  and  his  wife  attended 
him  carefully  until  his  death,  as  he  was  never  in  a  condi- 
tion to  be  removed  after  this  attack.     Commander  Porter 
was  deeply  grateful  for  this  attention  to  his  father,  and 
Mr.  Farragut  being  in  moderate  circumstances  with  seve- 
ral children  to  support,  he  proposed  to  adopt  David  and 
bring  him  up  in  the  navy  ;   which  offer  was  accepted,  and 
young  Farragut  transferred  to  his  new  home  where  he  was 
treated  as  a  son. 

Farragut,  who  was  then  but  seven  years  of  age,  was 


84  Memoir  of  Commodoke  David  Porter. 

placed  at  school  to  commence  his  education,  and  on  the 
17th  of  December  1810,  Commander  Porter  obtained  for 
him  an  appointment  as  midshipman  in  the  navy  and  kept 
the  young  man  with  him  for  several  years,  until  after  the 
capture  of  the  Essex,  carefully  training  him  in  his  profes- 
sion. In  fact,  as  long  as  Porter  remained  in  the  service 
and  had  opportunities  of  serving  his  adopted  son,  he  looked 
out  for  the  latter's  interests.  It  is  uot  too  much  to  attri- 
bute Farragut's  success  as  an  eminent  naval  commander  to 
the  careful  training  he  received  while  with  Captain  Por- 
ter. 

On  the  first  anniversary  of  his  wedding  Commander 
Porter  received  an  addition  to  his  family  in  a  son,  born 
March  10,  1809,  an  event  which  greatly  delighted  him. 
The  child  was  named  William  after  his  maternal  grand- 
father, and  for  many  months  after  his  birth  was  so  small 
that  he  could  sleep  in  a  cigar  box,  and  being  too  small  to 
be  dressed,  was  rolled  up  in  cotton.  The  father  was  ac- 
customed after  dinner  to  have  this  youngster  handed 
around  the  table  lying  on  a  napkin  in  a  plate.  The  child 
became  ultimately  a  man  of  over  two  hundred  pounds 
weight,  an  illustration  of  the  truth  of  the  old  saying,  "  tall 
oaks  from  little  acorns  grow."  He  served  through  life  in 
the  navy,  and  distinguished  himself  in  the  war  of  the  re- 
bellion. His  death  in  1865  was  in  consequence  of  injuries 
received  in  battle  on  the  Mississippi,  while  in  command 
of  the  ironclad  Essex. 

The  comparatively  inactive  life  that  Commander  Por- 
ter led  at  IS'ew  Orleans  by  no  means  suited  his  taste.  He 
had  accepted  the  duty  much  against  his  own  inclination, 
and  was  anxious  for  a  change.  He  had  long  been  of 
opinion  that  war  between  the  United  States  and  Great 
Britain  was  inevitable,  for  no  country  could  long  endure 
the  open  insults  oifered  to  us  without  taking  up  arms  to 
defend  her  rights.  Prior  to  taking  command  at  New 
Orleans,  Porter  had  been  much  exercised  in  mind  with 
regard  to  the  actions  of  the  British  naval  forces,  which 
were  continually  impressing  our  seamen  and  firing  on 
unarmed  merchant  vessels ;  and  he  desired  to  be  then 
where  he  could  be  immediately  employed  afloat  in  case  of 
war.    Congress,  to  prevent  these  aggressions,  had  passed  a 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  85 

law,  on  the  first  of  April,  1806,  providing  that  the  Presi- 
dent should  "keep  in  actual  employment  in  time  of 
peace  as  many  of  the  frigates  and  other  public  armed 
vessels  as  the  service  might  require."  Four  days  after  the 
passage  of  that  act,  the  British  frigate  Leander  grossly 
violated  our  rights  by  firing  into  one  of  our  merchant 
vessels,  before  the  harbor  of  E"ew  York,  and  killing  one 
John  Pierce,  a  citizen  of  the  United  States.  The  practice 
of  impressing  our  seamen,  so  far  from  diminishing  in  ac- 
cordance with  our  protests,  daily  increased,  and  finally  the 
affair  of  the  Chesapeake,  June  22d,  1807,  created  intense 
excitement  throughout  the  country.  "  At  that  time  Com- 
modore Douglass  was  in  command  of  the  British  squadron 
off  the  capes  of  Virginia,  and  this  officer  omitted  no  op- 
portunity to  insult  the  citizens  of  IN'orfolk,  and  Hampton  ; 
and  through  them,  the  whole  community,  acting  almost 
as  if  the  English  were  at  war  with  us.  He  would 
not  have  pursued  this  course,  had  not  congress  so  restricted 
the  president,  that  he  could  not  obtain  a  sufficient  number 
of  seamen  to  man  our  ships  and  protect  our  citizens  from 
insult.  We  were  now  reaping  the  reward  of  that  wretched 
policy  of  false  economy,  forced  upon  the  navy  by  the  Jef- 
ferson administration,  and  which  was  finally  condemned 
by  congress." 

In  the  latter  part  of  1810,  in  anticipation  of  hostilities 
with  Great  Britain,  Commander  Porter  left  N"ew  Orleans 
with  his  family,  and  journeyed  north,  up  the  Mississippi,  in 
a  gun  boat,  sometimes  propelled  by  sails,  sometimes  by 
oars  and  by  towing ;  the  vessel  seldom  making  more  than 
thirty  miles  a  day.  After  a  three  month's  voyage  on  the 
bosom  of  the  father  of  waters.  Porter  arrived  at  Pittsburg. 
This  was  the  first  national  vessel  that  ever  ascended  the 
river  so  far  up,  and  many  of  the  citizens  of  those  thinly 
settled  regions  had  never  before  seen  a  naval  officer,  much 
less  a  vessel  of  war.  They  were,  in  consequence,  much 
impressed  with  the  appearance  of  the  gunboat  slowly  mak- 
ing her  way  to  the  north.  If  any  of  those  who  were  then 
living  in  the  little  villages  (now  cities),  on  the  banks  of  the 
mighty  river,  and  gazed  with  wonder  on  the  solitary  vessel, 
saw  the  great  fleet  of  ships,  iron  clads  and  gunboats  in 
1862,  '63,  what  must  have  been  their  sensations  ?  especially 


86  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

when  they  heard  the  roar  of  cannon  reverberating  from 
those  once  peaceful  shores. 

On  the  5th  of  January,  1811,  soon  after  he  reached  his 
home  in  Chester,  Commander  Porter  was  presented  with 
a  daughter,  an  event  calculated  to  please  a  young  father 
and  make  him  desire  to  remain  with  his  family ;  but  he 
was  constantly  on  the  alert  to  avail  himself  of  the  first  op- 
portunity for  active  service  against  our  British  enemies. 
On  his  arrival  at  Chester  he  moved  into  the  house  pre- 
sented him  by  his  father-in-law.  This  place  known  as 
"  Grreenbank  "  was  then  very  beautiful  but  time  has  since 
laid  heavy  hands  upon  it  and  the  mansion  is  now  some- 
thing like  an  old  aristocrat  out  at  the  elbows.  Writing  to 
his  friend  Hambleton,  Oct.  22, 1810,  he  says  :  "  I  intend  to 
call  my  new  place  *  Montebello  '  so  soon  as  I  can  get  some 
of  the  Montebello  or  Havana  spoils.  It  happens  to  be 
nearer  a  bakery  than  a  mountain  but  that  makes  no  odds. 
The  name  sounds  so  well  I  cannot  think  of  losing  it.  The 
Chester  folks  call  me  a  Federalist  and  shun  me  as  they 
would  a  rattlesnake  because  I  wear  imported  cloth  and  gilt 
buttons.  I  am  in  hopes  this  name  will  convince  them  to 
the  contrary  it  sounds  so  much  like  ^  Monticello.'  " 

Our  government,  about  worn  out  with  British  annoyance, 
found  that  it  was  necessary  to  do  something  to  show  their 
displeasure  at  the  many  insults  that  had  been  heaped  upon 
our  flag  by  British  naval  officers,  and  on  the  20th  of 
October,  18 —  the  president,  by  authority  of  congress, 
issued  a  proclamation  interdicting  all  British  vessels  of  war 
from  entering  the  waters  of  the  United  States.  This,  it 
was  supposed,  would  bring  on  immediate  hostilities ;  and 
the  gallant  spirits  of  the  navy  began  to  sharpen  their 
swords,  preparatory  to  the  contest.  Among  the  most 
prominent  advocates  of  war  was  Porter,  who  could  not 
obtain  a  command  afloat,  notwithstanding  the  promises 
to  him  ;  it  was  likely  through  fear  that  he  would  prove  too 
zealous  in  vindicating  the  honor  of  the  flag,  as  he  has  ever 
shown  himself  ready  to  do  since  that  time  —  he  looked  on 
in  astonishment  to  see  the  legislators  of  that  time,  who 
had  scarce  got  out  of  their  ears  the  sound  of  revolutionary 
guns,  acting  such  a  timid  part  towards  an  oppressor  whom 
we  had  shown  ourselves  capable  of  humbling,  even  in  our 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  87 

infant  days.  Our  national  pride  had  been  severely  hurt, 
and,  there  was  no  bearing  any  longer  British  insults,  and 
yet,  owing  to  the  inactivity  shown  at  this  time  in  naval 
matters,  and  the  misappropriation  of  naval  moneys  (which 
always  seems  to  have  been  a  chronic  disease  in  our  na- 
tional polity),  we  were  perfectly  helpless  to  defend  our- 
selves, without  bringing  upon  us  humiliations  greater  than 
any  we  had  yet  borne.  The  British  then  had  a  force  of 
vessels  on  our  coast  quite  superior  to  the  miserable  gun 
boats,  which  were  forced  on  us  for  want  of  experienced 
naval  men  to  carry  on  a  naval  administration.  The  letters 
of  Porter  and  others,  at  that  time,  exhibit  the  feeling  in 
the  navy ;  and  he  does  not  hesitate  to  point  out  the  ill 
effects  of  the  existing  system.  He  compares  the  navy,  in 
one  of  his  letters,  "  to  a  glass  of  weak  whiskey  and  water, 
the  weak  addition  of  the  naval  element  having  only  di- 
luted the  draught  without  improving  the  taste." 

The  naval  officers  were  of  opinion,  in  which  time  has 
proved  them  right,  that  the  navy  should  be  conducted  en- 
tirely by  naval  men.  ^Notwithstanding  all  the  navy  had 
done  to  protect  the  honor  of  the  flag  and  increase  the  pres- 
tige of  the  country,  its  officers  were  not  consulted  with 
regard  either  to  the  proper  means  of  operating  by  sea 
against  a  powerful  enemy,  nor  of  protecting  our  bays  and 
inlets  against  the  invasions  of  fleets  or  single  ships.  The 
party  in  power  seemed  to  be  floundering  about  in  a  state 
of  ridiculous  uncertainty,  committing  egregious  blunders 
in  naval  matters,  as  other  administrations  have  since  done ; 
and,  which,  it  seems,  we  are  to  continue  to  do  until  some 
great  blow  will  fall  upon  the  country,  and  wake  them  up, 
when  too  late.  The  administration  of  the  navy  from  the 
beginning  has  been  a  failure ;  it  reminds  one  of  a  green 
boy  adrift  in  a  boat  with  a  single  oar ;  he  sculls,  then  pulls 
on  one  side,  then  sticks  out  his  oar,  on  the  other ;  but  he 
does  not  get  ahead  any  ;  he  turns  around  in  the  same  spot, 
just  what  the  navy  has  been  doing  since  its  first  establish- 
ment. 'No  fault  can  be  properly  attached  to  individuals 
who  have  administered  naval  affairs,  the  fault  all  lies  in 
defective  organization.  Commodore  Porter  with  several 
other  distinguished  officers  at  this  time  advocated  openly 
the  introduction  of  the  naval  element  into  the  administra- 


88  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

tion  of  the  service,  for  it  was  very  evident  that  the  govern- 
ment was  actually  forcing  us  into  a  war,  for  the  want 
of  that  preparation  which  was  so  much  needed.  The  most 
perfect  ignorance  seemed  to  exist  in  regard  to  fitting  out 
and  maintaining  the  navy. 

Captain  Porter  in  a  letter  to  a  friend  says  : 

"  The  vital  error,  if  not  criminal  neglect  of  the  government,  is  in 
not  introducing  the  naval  element  into  the  navy  department.  Experi- 
enced officers  would  have  avoided  the  terrible  mistakes  which  have 
been  committed  within  my  recollection,  and  we  would  have  had  now 
such  a  respectable  force  of  frigates  that  Great  Britain  would  not 
have  dared  to  go  to  war  with  us,  for  fear  of  having  her  commerce 
destroyed  —  thirty  frigates  on  our  side  would  make  her  respect  us  ; 
and  yet  the  wise-acres  who  have  charge  of  naval  affairs  are  still  cling- 
ing to  their  ridiculous  gun  boat  system.  Yet  how  can  they  be  expected 
to  know  the  difference  between  a  gun  boat  and  a  frigate.  I  am  sure 
they  could  not  learn  the  naval  science  on  their  Southera  plantations. 
The  money  squandered  on  these  wretched  vessels  would  have  built 
up  a  good  navy." 

This  was  shown  at  a  later  date,  when  the  government, 
gaining  wisdom  by  experience,  acknowledged  that  "  naval 
of&cers  alone  were  competent  to  conduct  the  intricate  duties 
belonging  to  a  profession  of  which  a  civilian  must  necessa- 
rily be  ignorant."  An  instructive  treatise  might  be  written 
in  relation  to  the  ill  effects  of  the  system  which  the  party 
in  power  tried  to  fasten  upon  the  navy ;  the  waste  and 
extravagance  which  occurred,  the  humiliation  which  it 
brought  upon  the  country,  and  the  loss  of  many  millions 
of  dollars ;  but,  the  limits  of  our  work  will  not  admit  of 
more  than  a  passing  allusion  to  this  subject.  The  United 
States  and  England  coquetted  with  each  other  for  several 
years,  in  which  neither  benefited  by  the  lessons  of  expe- 
rience ;  and  both  losing  greatly  in  their  commercial  interests 
by  the  vacillating  policy  of  each  other.  In  the  meantime, 
the  navy,  small  as  it  was,  used  their  utmost  efforts  by 
keeping  up  strict  discipline  to  prepare  for  the  conflict, 
which  they  saw  must,  sooner  or  later,  arrive. 

"  The  encounter  between  the  President  and  the  Little  Belt, 
in  which  the  latter  was  severely  cut  up,  caused  great  excite- 
ment in  England  and  the  United  States.  Both  natiom 
claimed  to  be  in  the  right,  but  nothing  came  from  the 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  89 

angry  controversies,  but  an  increased  alienation  between 
tbe  two  countries  ;  but  still  not  a  frigate  was  added  to  our 
navy,  nor  had  there  been  since  1801."  War  was  almost 
upon  us,  and  to  Great  Britain's  navy  of  more  than  a 
thousand  vessels  we  had  to  oppose  the  following  viz  : 


Constitution, 

44 

Essex,              32 

Siren, 

16 

President, 

44 

Adams,            28 

Oneida, 

16 

United  States. 

,44 

Boston,            28 

Vixen, 

14 

Congress, 

38 

John  Adams,  28 

Nautilus, 

14 

Constellation, 

38 

Wasp,              18 

Enterprise 

,14 

Chesapeake, 

38 

Argus,             16 

Yiper, 

12 

New  York, 

38 

While  the  naval  forces  of  the  country  were  in  this  weak 
condition,  congress,  for  various  reasons  known  to  every- 
body, declared  war  against  Great  Britain,  June  18,  1812. 
Great  as  may  be  the  misfortune  of  war  to  a  country,  a 
greater  calamity  can  befall  it,  the  stigma  of  resting  under 
insult  and  oppression,  without  making  an  effort  to  wipe 
out  the  dishonor.  Whatever  may  have  been  the  feelings 
of  the  citizens  at  large,  the  navy  exulted  at  the  declaration, 
hoping  to  avenge  the  humiliations  we  had  experienced 
for  so  many  years  from  Great  Britain.  Notwithstanding 
the  great  disparity  of  force  between  the  two  navies,  our 
officers  did  not  fear  the  result.  The  experience  they  had 
gained  in  the  French  and  Tripolitan  wars  had  given  them 
great  confidence  in  their  ships  and  seamen,  and  all  the 
latter  burned  to  fight  for  "  free  trade  and  sailor's  rights." 

The  frequently  published  statement  that  Porter  was 
ordered  to  command  the  Essex  after  war  with  England 
had  been  declared,  is  not  correct ;  it  appears,  from  docu- 
ments on  record,  that  at  the  commencement  of  hostilities 
he  had  then  been  nearly  a  year  in  command  of  the  frigate, 
to  which  he  was  appointed  in  August  1811,  soon  after  the 
affair  of  the  Little  Belt.  On  the  7th  of  September,  1811, 
as  appears  by  a  letter  to  a  friend,  we  find  Commander 
Porter  at  Gosport,  Ya.,  where  we  had  some  sort  of  a  fitting 
place,  since  grown  to  a  navy  yard,  preparing  his  vessel  for 
sea,  doing  the  duty  of  a  captain  on  the  pay  of  a  com- 
mander. This  was  really  a  high  compliment,  as  no  other 
officer  of  his  grade  commanded  a  frigate.  On  the  12th  of 
12 


90  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

October  he  was  at  Craney  island,  waiting  for  men  to  be 
sent  from  Boston  to  complete  his  crew.  On  the  4th  ]^o- 
vember,  writing  from  Hampton  Roads,  he  says :  "  I  have 
just  returned  from  a  short  cruise  on  the  coast,  and  shall  in 
all  probability  take  another  in  a  few  days.  I  am  much 
pleased  with  my  ship  and  wish  I  could  say  as  much  for  my 
battery.  She  is  armed  with  carronades  which,  in  my 
opinion,  are  very  inferior  to  long  guns."  An  opinion 
which,  later  in  the  war,  was  fully  confirmed.  It  seems  that 
the  frigate  Congress  was  also  to  have  been  put  under 
Porter's  command,  and  the  two  vessels  were  to  have  sailed 
together  in  search  of  the  Shannon  and  Guerriere,  which 
were  reported  to  be  on  the  coast.  Porter  was  highly 
flattered  with  the  prospect  and  expressed  himself  as  anxious 
for  an  opportunity  to  wipe  out  the  disgrace  of  the  Chesa- 
peake. Commander  Porter  continued  in  the  Essex  until 
the  war  broke  out,  when  the  vessel  was  in  l^ew  York,  hove 
down  for  repairs.  To  show  the  feeling  with  which  Porter 
went  into  the  war,  we  insert  a  letter  to  a  brother  officer, 
Sam'l  Hambleton,  dated  "  OfFSandy  Hook,  April  18, 1812," 
just  two  months  previous  to  the  declaration. 

U.  S.  Frigate  Essex, 
Near  Sandy  Hook,  April  18th,  1812. 
Dear  Eamhleton  :  Yours  of  the  6th  reached  me  yesterday  —  Wm. 
is  reinstated  and  I  am  in  hopes  will  do  better.  Write  to  me  as 
soon  as  you  receive  this  and  direct  your  letter  to  Norfolk,  where  if 
God  spares  me  I  shall  be  ere  long.  We  sail  in  search  of  the  Guer- 
riere and  Belvidere,  if  I  once  get  my  graplins  on  the  latter  nothing 
short  of  the  hand  of  the  Almighty  shall  separate  us,  while  her  flag 
is  flying  —  I  have  seen  de  Crillon.  I  have  also  seen  our  old  friend 
ChevalUer  and  a  number  of  his  gang  —  from  various  circumstances 
I  am  induced  to  believe  that  the  latter  intends  taking  a  passage  in 
the  fast  sailing  schooner  pvrchased  at  Baltimore.  I  am  convinced 
they  are  acquainted  although  they  do  not  appear  so  —  and  I  think 
we  shall  soon  hear  of  some  of  their  exploits.  I  was  at  the  theatre 
saw  Chevallier  in  the  next  box  to  me  de  Crillon  in  the  opposite  one. 
Several  significant  looks  passed  between  them,  which  convinced  me 
that  they  were  not  unknown  to  each  other  ',  had  I  known  at  the 
time  that  de  Crillon  had  purchased  the  schooner,  I  should  have 
made  it  my  business  to  trace  their  connection  ;  for  de  Crillon's  ap- 
pearance I  should  believe  him  a  villain.     I  never  before  felt  so 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  91 

great  an  anxiety  to  be  at  sea,  the  winds  liave  been  adverse  for  some 
days.  We  have  just  drop'd*down  to  the  Hook,  and  the  first  slant 
we  shall  go  out.  I  hope  the  contest  may  depend  on  Commodore 
Bainbridge  and  myself;  the  Congress  will  join  us,  but  I  hope  not, 
before  we  meet  the  British  ships.  The  Belvidere  is  a  large  36,  the 
Essex  only  a  small  32 ;  but  so  help  me  God  !  I  would  not  wish 
another  gun,  although  I  wish  those  I  have  were  better.  I  know  not 
how  the  contest  may  result ;  but  this  I  know,  that  I  never  can  sur- 
vive the  disgrace  of  striking  the  colors  of  the  Essex. 

God  bless  you,  D.  Porter. 

In  another  letter  from  the  Essex  to  Samuel  Hambleton 
Esq.,  dated  Oct.  4th,  1812,  he  says  : 

Chester,  Oct.  4th,  1812. 
Dear  Hamhleton  :  I  arrived  yesterday  from  the  capes,  saw  noth- 
ing. The  neglect  of  the  Department  is  unpardonable.  Three  days 
after  my  arrival  I  would  have  sailed  with  three  months  provisions  I 
have  yet  received  no  orders.  Tis  strange  !  My  next  cruise  I  hope 
will  be  more  profitable,  if  they  give  me  any  discretion,  I  shall  expect 
to  make  my  fortune.  I  still  hope  that  they  will  let  me  carry  into 
execution  the  plan  that  once  gave  so  much  pleasure  to  the  Secy. 
If  the  gov^  buy  the  Alert,  my  part  will  net  me  6  or  $7,000, 
perhaps  more.  Comi'e  D.  has  an  agent  at  your  port.  I  shall  how- 
ever mention  you  to  my  friends.  If  we  do  not  get  out  soon  we  shall 
all  be  kept  in  until  winter,  as  the  British  force  has  been  so  much 
augmented.  There  must  be  a  change  in  our  Department,  or  we  never 
can  expect: to  do  any  thing  except  on  our  own  responsibility;  there 
is  no  energy,  nor  will  there  be  while  a  pint  of  whiskey  can  be  pur- 
chased in  the  District  of  Columbia, —  it  is  shameful.     Why  should 

the   indisposition  of  R. paralize  the  operations  of  the   navy. 

It  is  the  duty  of  every  one  to  be  at  his  post  such  times  as  these. 

God  bless  you,  D.  Porter. 

Samuel  Hambleton  Esq.,  U.  S.  Navy, 

Newport,  R.  I. 

In  those  days  the  rapidity  in  fitting  out  a  ship  of  war 
depended  very  much  upon  the  energy  of  the  commanding 
officer,  who  had  almost  the  entire  charge  of  the  work. 
Captain  Porter  worked  day  and  night  endeavoring  to  get 
his  vessel  ready  to  sail  with  the  little  squadron  ordered  to 
assemble  at  ITew  York  under  Commodore  Rodgers,  but 
he  found  it  out  of  the  question  to  do  so.  When  he  received 
orders  to  get  his  ship  ready,  she  was  stripped  of  her  rig- 


92  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

ging,  the  hold  was  broken  out,  and  she  had  to  be  hove 
down  to  make  some  necessary  repairs,  all  of  which  as  a 
seaman  knows  requires  time  to  accomplish.  However,  so 
great  were  the  captain's  exertions  and  so  ably  was  he 
seconded  by  his  subordinates,  that  although  the  Essex  was 
stripped  nearly  to  a  girtline  when  Commodore  Rodgers 
put  to  sea  on  the  21st  of  July,  yet  on  the  3d  of  August 
she  sailed  properly  fitted,  with  a  good  crew,  and  a  fine  set 
of  officers.  Porter  was  now  a  captain,  having  been  pro- 
moted to  that  grade  on  the  2d  July,  1812.  At  that  time, 
the  Essex  carried  a  very  inferior  battery  for  a  vessel  of  her 
class ;  her  original  gun  deck  armament  consisted  of  26  long 
12  pounders;  but,  contrary  to  the  opinion  of  experienced 
officers,  it  had  been  changed  some  time  previous  to  the 
declaration  of  war,  and  with  the  exception  of  six  of  her  old 
twelve  pounders,  she  now  mounted  32  pound  carronades 
in  their  places.  Captain  Porter  was  himself  satisfied  of 
the  impropriety  of  placing  so  many  of  these  short  32 
pounder  carronades  on  board  our  ships  (as  can  be  verified 
from  his  letters),  and  strongly  protested  against  taking  them 
to  sea,  asking  for  the  old  battery  of  12  pounders.  The 
department,  however,  declined  to  grant  his  request;  a 
matter  which  in  the  end  they  had  cause  to  regret.  Cap- 
tain Porter,  after  leaving  ^N'ew  York,  stood  to  the  south- 
ward and  captured  several  prizes,  taking  out  the  prisoners 
and  destroying  their  vessels.  His  object  was  not  so  much 
prize  money  as  glory,  and  wishing  to  have  the  honor  of 
being  the  first  to  lower  the  British  fiag,  he  did  not  desire 
to  weaken  his  crew.  He  found  the  Essex  a  good  sailer, 
and  in  fact  the  only  real  objection  to  her  was  the  number 
of  carronades  mounted  in  place  of  long  guns ;  but  he  con- 
soled himself  with  the  speed  of  his  ship,  hoping  that  if  he 
could  get  alongside  a  vessel  of  even  superior  force,  his 
heavy  shot  might  give  him  the  victory. 

Standing  again  to  the  northward,  he  fell  in  one  night 
with  a  small  fleet,  which  he  soon  ascertained  were  enemies. 
The  English  vessels  were  running  northward  before  the 
wind,  while  the  Essex  was  standing  across  their  track  on 
an  easy  bowline.  The  night  was  hazy  though  the  moon 
was  out,  and  it  was  just  the  time  for  a  single  vessel  to 
watch  a  squadron  without  being  discovered  herself.     Un- 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  93 

fortunately,  as  daylight  was  fast  approaching,  there  was 
little  time  for  active  operations.  As  the  Essex  drew  near 
she  found  the  vessels  to  be  a  convoy  sailing  in  irregular 
order  a  considerable  distance  apart,  while  a  large  ship 
having  charge  of  the  convoy  was  some  distance  ahead. 
Captain  Porter  determined  to  keep  the  weather  gage, 
until  he  could  ascertain  the  force  of  the  enemy,  and 
stretched  in  towards  the  sternmost  vessel  which  he  spoke. 
He  had  gone  to  quarters  but  kept  the  ports  in,  ready 
to  be  knocked  out  at  a  moment's  notice.  Some  strategy 
was  necessary  to  obtain  the  required  information,  but  by 
adroit  questioning  it  was  ascertained  that  the  convoy  con- 
sisted of  transports  in  charge  of  a  frigate  and  bomb  vessel. 
Whereupon  the  captain  having  found  out  all  he  desired  to 
learn,  determined  if  possible  to  get  alongside  the  frigate 
and  carry  her  by  surprise.  So  the  Essex  shot  ahead,  and 
soon  came  up  with  another  transport ;  where  some  further 
conversation  was  carried  on,*butthe  Englishman  suspect- 
ing that  the  stranger  was  an  interloper  announced  his  in- 
tention to  signal  the  frigate.  The  Essex  then  threw  off 
all  disguise  and  ordered  the  transport  to  haul  out  of  the 
convoy  under  penalty  of  being  fired  into,  and  the  vessel 
was  taken  possession  of  as  a  prize.  She  was  filled  with 
soldiers,  and  so  much  time  was  consumed  in  securing 
them  that  day  dawned  and  the  attempt  on  the  frigate  was 
abandoned.  The  ship  of  war  was  the  Minerva  36 ;  the 
troops  in  the  convoy  amounted  to  1000  men,  of  whom  150 
were  captured  by  the  Essex. 

A  few  days  after  this  affair  the  Essex  made  a  strange 
sail  to  windward.  At  this  time  the  frigate  was  disguised  as 
a  merchantman,  her  gundeck  ports  being  closed,  her  top 
gallant  masts  housed,  and  her  sails  set  and  trimmed  in 
careless  fashion.  The  stranger,  deceived  by  the  merchant 
like  appearance  of  the  American  vessel,  ran  down  directly 
for  her,  when  the  frigate  kept  off  and  showed  American 
colors.  The  Essex  was  a  small  frigate  lightly  sparred,  and 
with  her  ports  in  did  not  look  like  a  ship  of  war ;  but, 
whatever  may  have  been  the  Englishman's  opinion,  he 
set  his  colors  at  the  peak  and  opened  fire.  The  Essex  now 
lowered  her  gun  deck  ports,  and  returned  the  compliment, 
with  such  effect,  that  after  one  or  two  discharges  the  enemy's 


94  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

crew  deserted  their  guns  and  ran  below ;  and  in  eight 
minutes  after  the  American  opened  fire,  the  Englishman 
struck  his  colors.  Lieut.  Finch  was  sent  to  take  posses- 
sion of  the  prize,  which  proved  to  be  H.  B.  M.  sloop  of 
war  Alert,  Capt.  Langhorne,  mounting  twenty  eighteen 
pounder  carronades,  and  with  a  full  crew.  Seven  feet  of 
water  was  found  in  the  ship's  hold,  and  she  was  obliged  to 
wear  round  to  keep  from  sinking.  Although  ignorant  of 
the  fact  at  the  time,  Capt.  Porter  was  much  gratified  when 
he  afterwards  learned  that  the  Alert  was  the  first  English 
ship  of  war  to  fall  into  our  possession ;  he  was,  however, 
disappointed  that  the  vessel  was  not  more  worthy  of  his 
metal.  The  Americans  were  astonished  at  the  feeble  re- 
sistance made  by  the  Alert,  for  although  in  number  and 
weight  of  guns  the  Essex  was  nearly  double  her  strength, 
yet  the  latter's  work  was  done  so  quickly,  as  to  afibrd  no 
comparison  whatever  with  regard  to  the  efficiency  of  the  two 
vessels.  The  English  had  formed  such  an  overweening 
opinion  of  their  own  prowess  on  the  ocean,  that  the  Ameri- 
cans expected  some  stronger  proof  of  it  on  this  occasion. 
In  fact  the  Alert  was  either  taken  by  surprise,  or  her  cap- 
tain supposed  that  the  American  ship  would  strike  at  the 
sight  of  the  British  fiag ;  and  receiving  such  a  rapid  fire, 
the  sailors  found  that  they  had  been  led  into  a  trap,  and 
deserted  their  guns  in  a  panic,  with  but  three  men  wounded. 
The  British  captain  may  have  been  a  fearless  man,  but 
must  have  lacked  judgment,  to  run  thus  suddenly  into  the 
jaws  of  a  frigate.  It  is  more  than  likely,  however,  that  the 
English  had  acquired  such  a  habit  of  dashing  at  French 
ships  twice  their  size,  as  to  fancy  such  tactics  would 
answer  with  the  Americans ;  forgetting  that  we  wei^e  from 
British  stock,  with  an  infusion  of  youthful  vigor  which  the 
Frenchmen  had  not.  It  was,  in  fact,  like  a  struggle  between 
a  youthful  athlete  and  an  old  fogy,  the  latter  very  plethoric, 
very  opinionated,  and  not  by  any  means  so  "  active  on  his 
pins."  The  Essex  had  now,  with  the  crew  of  the  Alert, 
three  hundred  prisoners  on  board,  more  than  could  well 
be  taken  care  of.  For  many  reasons  it  was  desirable  to 
get  rid  of  them,  and  Captain  Porter  accordingly  entered 
into  an  agreement  with  Capt.  Langhorne,  by  which  the 


Memoik  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  95 

Alert  was  converted  into  a  cartel  and  sent  to  St.  Johns,  N. 
F.,  thus  getting  rid  of  the  prisoners  and  ensuring  the  arrival 
of  the  prize  at  an  American  port  afterwards.  Admiral 
Sir  J.  T.  Duckworth,  the  commander  in  chief  of  H.  B. 
Majesty's  naval  forces  at  Newfoundland,  considering  this 
rather  sharp  practice  on  the  part  of  the  Americans,  pro- 
tested against  it  as  injurious  to  the  British  interests, 
although  he  honorably  complied  with  the  conditions  entered 
into  by  his  subordinate.  The  Alert's  guns  were  thrown 
overboard,  and  she  was  put  in  charge  of  Lieut.  Wilmer, 
with  orders  to  proceed  as  a  cartel  to  St.  John's,  iNTewfound- 
land.  The  following  correspondence  on  the  subject  is 
highly  honorable  to  all  parties  concerned,  as  showing  their 
desire  to  mitigate  the  horrors  of  war.  The  objections  of 
Admiral  Sir  J.  T.  Duckworth,  as  to  the  impropriety  of 
turning  captured  ships  into  cartels,  seem  to  be  well 
founded,  but  he  exhibits  a  magnanimity  in  keeping  with 
the  high  reputation  of  this  distinguished  officer. 

Sir  J.  T.  Duckworth  to  Captain  Porter. 

St.  John's,  Newfoundland,  Aug.  5,  1812. 
Sir  :  Your  letter  of  the  2d  inst.  was  delivered  to  me  yesterday  by 
Mr.  McKnight,  midshipman  of  the  United  States  Frigate  Essex 
under  your  command.  I  am  sensible  of  the  good  disposition  you 
have  evinced  to  alleviate  the  distresses  of  war,  and  would  have 
gladly  embraced  your  proposal  for  an  exchange  of  the  prisoners,  that 
we  have  respectively  made,  but  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  at  the  present 
moment  and  under  the  peculiar  circumstances  of  the  case,  it  is  not 
in  my  power  to  do  so.  In  the  first  place,  I  have  not  yet  received 
those  instructions  from  my  government  which  I  considered  necessary 
for  the  guidance  of  my  conduct  in  respect  to  any  such  arrangement ; 
and  in  the  next,  the  officer  whom  you  charged  with  the  British  pri- 
soners has  only  delivered  to  me  a  list  of  their  names,  without  pro- 
ducing any  of  their  persons  acquainting  me  that  they  had  taken  the 
vessel  from  him  and  put  into  another  .port  of  this  island.  I  can 
only,  therefore,  assure  you,  that  I  shall  report  the  matter  fully  to  his 
majesty's  government,  transmitting  a  copy  of  your  letter  and  of  the 
list  of  British  prisoners  by  which  it  is  accompanied.  I  have  had 
the  pleasure  of  forwarding  to  Halifax  the  young  gentleman  whom 
you  sent  to  me,  an  opportunity  having  already  occurred  •  and  I  have 
written  to  the  commander-in-chief  in  that  station  requesting  that 
he  will  endeavor  to  provide  the  means  of  his  conveyance  to  the 
United  States. 


96  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

I  have  the  honour  to  be,  sir,  your  most  obedient  humble  servant, 

J.  T.  Duckworth. 
To  Captain  Porter, 

Commander  of  the  United  States  Frigate  the  Essex. 


Sir  J.  T.  Duckworth  to  the  Honorable  Secretary 
of  the  Navy  of  the  United  States. 

St.  Johns,  Newfoundland,  August  31,  1812. 

A  vessel  captured  as  the  Alert  has  been,  could  not  have  been 
vested  with  the  character  of  a  cartel,  until  she  had  entered  a  port  of 
the  nation  by  which  she  had  been  captured  and  been  regularly  fitted 
out  from  thence.  For  every  prize  might  otherwise  be  provided  with 
a  flag  of  truce  and  proposals  for  an  exchange  of  prisoners,  and  ren- 
dered thus  efi'ectually  secure  against  the  possibility  of  re-capture ; 
while  the  cruising  ship  would  be  able  to  keep  at  sea  with  an  undi- 
minished crew ;  the  cartels  being  always  navigable  by  the  prisoners 
of  war.  Nevertheless  I  am  willing  to  give  proof  at  once  of  my  re- 
spect for  the  liberality  with  which  the  captain  of  the  Essex  has 
acted  in  more  than  one  instance,  towards  the  British  subjects  who 
have  fallen  into  his  hands  3  of  the  sacred  obligation  that  is  always 
felt  to  fulfil  the  engagements  of  a  British  officer ;  and  of  my  confi- 
dence in  the  disposition  of  his  Koyal  Highness  the  Prince  Regent, 
to  allay  the  violence  of  war  by  encouraging  a  reciprocation  of  that 
courtesy  by  which  its  pressure  upon  individuals  may  be  so  essen- 
tially diminished. 

On  the  4th  of  this  month  a  midshipman  of  the  Essex  arrived  and 
presented  to  me  a  letter  from  his  captain  proposing  an  exchange  for 
eighty-six  British  prisoners.  The  midshipman  had  however,  been 
placed  alone  in  the  charge  of  one  of  the  captured  vessels  with  86 
prisoners  to  conduct  them  to  this  port.  A  list  of  forty  prisoners  of 
the  same  description,  disposed  of  in  the  same  manner  has  been  sent 
to  me  by  the  commander  of  the  American  private  armed  schooner 
the  Rossie. 

It  is  incumbent  upon  me  to  protest  in  the  strongest  manner  against 
the  practice  of  conducting;  exchanges  upon  terms  like  these ;  and  to 
signify  to  you  that  it  will  be  utterly  impossible  for  me  to  incur  in 
future,  the  responsibility  of  assenting  to  them. 


The  Essex,  now  unhampered  by  prisoners  or  prizes,  con- 
tinued her  cruise  ;  once  she  was  chased  by  two  British 
frigates,  but  made  her  escape  when  night  set  in.  On  this 
occasion  Captain  Porter  determined  to  try  and  capture  one 


Memoir  of  Comaiodore  David  Porter.  97 

of  them  by  a  ruse,  and  for  this  purpose  after  losing  sight 
of  the  enemy  in  the  darkness,  he  tacked  ship,  extinguished 
all  lights,  and  kept  a  good  look  out.  It  was  his  intention, 
if  he  could  get  alongside  one  of  the  ships,  to  fire  a  broad- 
side and  then  board.  The  stream  anchor  and  cable  was 
to  be  triced  up  to  the  main  yard  to  be  dropped  on  the 
enemy's  deck,  and  various  other  devices  were  arranged  to 
promote  success ;  but,  notwithstanding  all  eflTorts  to  fall  in 
with  the  enemy,  he  could  not  be  found,  for  after  losing 
sight  of  the  American  ship  in  the  darkness  he  had  proba- 
bly tacked  and  joined  his  consort.  However,  it  was  pro- 
bably quite  as  well  that  the  Essex  did  not  fall  in  with  the 
frigate,  for  the  contest  might  have  been  disastrous  to  the 
former.  British  frigates  do  not  let  strange  ships  approach 
them  at  night  without  being  in  readiness  for  battle,  and  as 
the  Essex  was  much  lighter  than  any  frigate  the  British 
had  at  the  time  on  the  IsTorth  American  station,  it  is  more 
than  probable  she  would  have  been  overmatched  by  the 
two.  Thus  far  the  cruise  had  been  less  profitable  than 
those  on  board  the  Essex  had  hoped,  though  gratifying 
from  the  fact  that  they  had  captured  the  first  ship  of  war 
belonging  to  the  British ;  and  now,  finding  his  stores 
running  short,  Capt.  Porter  shaped  his  course  for  the  capes 
of  the  Delaware,  arrived  on  the  7th,  and  in  the  middle  of 
September  anchored  off  the  town  of  Chester,  where  his 
family  resided ;  here  he  watered  ship  and  laid  in  a  store  of 
fresh  provisions.  The  following  letter  is  of  interest  in  this 
connection : 

Essex,  Mouth  of  Delaware,  Sept.  7,  1815. 
Dear  Hamhleton  :  I  have  at  length  arrived  safe  and  sound.  Ac- 
companying this  you  will  receive  a  power  to  act  as  prize  agent  for 
the  Essex.  I  was  at  a  loss  to  know  what  place  would  suit  you  but 
understand  you  was  to  be  stationed  at  Rhode  Island.  I  do  not  know 
if  my  prizes  have  got  in  safe.  I  have  taken  one  sloop  of  war  and 
one  transport,  burnt  two  merchantmen,  liberated  one  and  sent  in 
four.  My  prisoners  amount  to  four  hundred  and  twenty,  and  I  cal- 
culate I  have  injured  the  enemy  $300,000.  My  next  cruise  I  hope 
will  prove  more  profitable  to  self  and  agents.  Grod  bless  you,  write 
me  soon  and  give  me  all  the  news. 

Yours,  D.  P. 
Samuel  Hambleton,  Esq.,  U.  S.  Navy. 
13 


98  Memoir  of  Commodoee  David  Porter. 

The  few  days  he  remained  in  Chester  were  given  up  to 
social  enjoyment  with  his  family,  while  his  first  lieutenant, 
Mr.  John  Downes,  prepared  the  ship  for  sea.  At  this  time 
Capt.  Porter  conceived  the  idea  of  that  eventful  cruise  in 
the  Pacific  ocean,  where  the  destruction  of  British  com- 
merce hy  the  Essex  did  so  much  towards  putting  an  end  to 
the  war.  Porter  was,  therefore,  excusable  in  taking  a  few 
days'  rest  with  his  family  before  entering  upon  a  cruise 
which  he  knew  would  keep  him  from  home  at  least  two 
years,  and  not  unlikely  for  ever.  Captain  Porter  had  re- 
ceived orders  to  form  with  his  vessel  a  part  of  the  squadron 
of  Commodore  Bainbridge,  consisting  of  the  Constitution, 
Essex  and  Hornet,  and  to  rendezvous  at  Porto  Praya,  in  the 
Cape  Verd  islands,  or  failing  to  find  the  other  vessels  at 
that  point,  to  proceed  to  Fernando  IToronha,  ofiT  the  coast 
of  Brazil,  there  to  await  instructions.  It  was  originally  in- 
tended that  Commodore  Bainbridge  should  proceed  with 
his  little  squadron  to  the  Pacific  and  destroy  the  British 
whale  fishery  in  that  quarter,  but  circumstances  preventing, 
it  remained  for  Porter  to  carry  out  a  policy  disastrous  to 
the  enemy's  commerce.  It  was  a  heartrending  occasion 
when  he  was  obliged  to  separate  from  his  young  wife  and 
children,  but  with  him  duty  was  a  stronger  feeling  than 
the  love  of  home,  especially  when  the  honor  of  his  country 
was  at  stake.  So  bidding  his  friends  a  cheerful  farewell, 
and  promising  to  return  with  a  frigate  in  tow,  he  re- 
paired on  board  his  ship  and  set  sail  from  the  Delaware  on 
the  28th  of  October,  1812. 

The  following  letters,  written  to  his  friend  Samuel  Ham- 
bleton,  at  that  time,  are  interesting  from  the  fact  that  they 
were  written  in  the  most  confidential  style,  to  a  friend  in 
whom  he  could  certainly  rely.  They  exhibit  a  pretty  cor- 
rect state  of  afiairs,  and  the  feelings  of  the  day,  and  help 
to  make  up  the  history  of  that  period.  Samuel  Hamble- 
ton  was  the  constant  correspondent  of  Capt.  Porter,  from 
the  year  1808,  until  the  year  of  his  death.  The  Captain 
made  Hambleton's  acquaintance  when  he  commanded  at 
New  Orleans,  Hambleton  being  at  the  time  purser  of  the 
station  ;  the  Captain  soon  formed  a  high  estimate  of  Ham- 
bleton's character,  and  they  became  intimate  friends,  an 
intimacy  that  lasted  without  interruption  through  their 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  99 

lives.  Hambleton  was  one  of  those  genial  spirits  one 
meets  but  rarely.  He  was  a  Marylander,  of  one  of  the 
best  families,  and  full  of  that  kind  hospitality  which  always 
distinguished  the  citizens  of  that  state ;  he  was  a  great 
admirer  of  Capt.  Porter,  and  preserved  every  scrap  of 
paper  he  ever  received  from  the  latter.  At  the  death  of 
Hambleton  all  these  letters  were  placed  in  the  hands  of 
the  author,  who  may  consider  them  of  more  interest,  per- 
haps, than  will  the  reader. 

Dear  Hambleton :  I  wrote  you  a  day  or  two  ago  by  Lieut  Nea  1, 
and  presume  this  will  reach  you  the  first.  I  have  no  news  to  give 
you,  but  am  looking  out  with  much  anxiety  for  letters  from  you. 
I  perceive  death  to  our  hopes  of  an  increase  of  the  navy  —  the  govt 
seems  disposed  to  yield  the  principle  they  have  so  long  held  out, 
that  the  ocean  is  the  high  road  of  nations  and  are  determined  to  re  - 
tort  their  aggressions  in  Canada  —  it  is  the  safest,  but  not  the  most 
noble  and  dignified  manner  of  retaliating.  We  can  reach  her  with 
certainty  there,  but  this  is  not  the  only  point  where  she  is  vulner- 
able, her  extensive  and  badly  protected  convoys  in  every  part  of  the 
ocean,  are  equally  open  to  our  attacks.  If  we  lose  a  few  of  our 
frigates  what  will  she  gain  by  it !  and  what  will  be  our  losses  com  - 
pared  with  the  millions  we  should  sink,  burn  and  destroy !  I  detest 
the  idea  of  trusting  to  our  privateers  for  the  destruction  of  British 
commerce  —  are  we  to  become  a  nation  of  buccaneers,  a  nest  of  vil- 
lains, a  detestible  set  of  pirates  ?  When  a  general  system  of  piracy 
is  countenanced  by  our  gov^,  when  the  whole  maritime  defence  of  a 
nation  consists  of  buccaneers,  farewell  national  honor,  farewell  na- 
tional pride  !  then  we  sink  to  the  level  of  the  bashaw  of  Tripoli, 
and  the  emperor  of  Hayti. 

It  is  said  we  are  to  go  to  New  York  as  soon  as  the  ice  breaks  up, 
there  is  a  report  that  the  Guerriere  and  Tartarus  are  on  the  coast. 
Give  me  all  the  news  you  can  rake  and  scrape. 

Yours  sincerely,        D.  Porter. 


Feb.  7th,  1812. 
Samuel  Hambleton :  P.S.  It  seems  that  Shaw,  Smith  and  Dent, 
received  the  pay,  and  were  authorized  to  wear  the  uniform  of  cap- 
tains, when  at  the  head  of  the  list  of  master  com'^ts.  The  death  of 
Nicholson  places  me  there,  and  I  claim  the  right  to  the  same  privi- 
ledge  and  distinction.  I  have  written  the  secy  on  the  subject,  they 
have  thought  proper  not  to  notice  my  claim.  I  have  written  again 


100  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

persisting  in  my  demand  for  permission  to  appear  as  a  captain,  if  the 
above  mentioned  were  authorized  by  the  Dep^  to  appear  as  such 
when  in  my  situation.  If  their  dress  was  assumed,  I  shall  not  as- 
sume it,  but  I  wish  to  know,  and  will  know  the  fact.  If  they  were 
authorized,  I  will  have  the  same  authority.  The  suspension  of 
Barron  should  give  me  the  pay  of  captain  and  with  it  the  uniform. 
Let  me  know  if  you  hear  any  thing  said  on  the  subject. 


Essex,  Feb.  28th,  1812. 

Dear  Hamhleton  :  The  die  is  cast.  I  have  passed  the  Rubicon, 
my  letter  to  the  secretary  (a  copy  of  which  I  forwarded  you)  was 
sent  before  I  received  your  friendly  letter  of  advice  or  I  should  have 
suppressed  it.  As  I  have  commenced,  I  shall  persevere ;  it  is  noble  to 
struggle  against  the  gods,  unsaying  is  like  paying  back,  "  double 
trouble."  If  they  want  me  to  unsay,  let  them  have  the  politeness  to 
explain.  The  secretary  is  unpopular  here  with  the  cloth,  from  the 
highest  to  the  lowest,  he  is  disliked ,  it  is  supposed  he  has  been  too 
long  in  the  habit  of  driving  slaves  to  know  how  to  regard  the- honor- 
able feelings  of  gentlemen,  added  to  this  a  propensity  to  "  toss  the 
little  finger,"  it  is  believed  disqualifies  him  for  the  station.  You 
know  best  how  true  the  suspicions  are  —  there  are  great  discontents 
and  even  disgusts  here  —  at  conduct  and  treatment  from  the  depart- 
ment ;  for  mi/  own  part  I  drive  on  the  good  old  way,  do  my  duty 
and  "  in  fact"  intend  that  no  one  shall  "  treat  me  badly  with  im- 
punity." 

I  wish  really  that  congress  would  scrutinize  into  the  expenditure 
of  monies  appropriated  for  the  navy;  for,  until  this  is  done,  we  can 
not  have  a  navy ;  5  expensive  navy  yards,  for  the  repairs  and  sup- 
plies of  5  frigates,  3  corvettes,  and  5  brigs  and  schooners  is  shameful ; 
it  is  equally  shameful  to  have  such  a  superabundance  of  officers  on 
full  and  half  pay.  Rotten  gun  boats,  rotten  hulks,  sinecures,  waste 
and  embezzlement  swallow  up  all  the  appropriation ;  not  one  million 
is  spent  on  our  ships,  and  yet  we  have  the  credit  of  squandering  the 
whole !  One  navy  yard  is  enough  for  us,  why  not  sell  the  rest  ? 
why  not  turn  out  a  number  of  vagabonds  that  are  useless  to  the 
service.  Burn  the  wretched  gun  boats,  and  build  some  more  useful 
vessels ;  with  50  frigates  Great  Britain  dare  not  show  her  nose  in 
our  seas.  If  things  stand  thus,  we  shall  have  warm  work  on  our 
coast  next  summer,  we  are  sharpening  all  our  swords  and  preparing 
for  the  worst  that  may  happen,  we  must  "  die  all,  die  nobly." 

I  am  sorry  D.  has  committed  himself  so  far  with  the  agent.  I 
always  feared  that  his  money  making  schemes  would  involve  him  in 
difficulty.     A  Commander  should  not  put  himself  in  the  power  of 


Memoir  of  Commodore  1)aVid' Pt)RT&R.' '  - '    -tOl 

any  subordinate  to  him.  The  agent  (he  might  have  sworn,  if  he 
had  only  half  an  idea)  would  not  have  kept  his  secret  any  longer  than 
suited  his  interest.  If  I  should  ever  feel  disposed  to  be  dishonest  he 
should  be  the  last  man  I  would  inform  of  it ;  unless  I  intended  to 
give  him  an  equal  interest  in  my  infamy,  perhaps  I  am  wrong  in  my 
suspicions  of  the  man,  if  so,  Grod  forgive  me.  We  will  see  if  the 
"  veteran  who  can  not  be  led  astray  "  will  have  the  interest  of  his 
country  more  at  heart  than  his  "  crazy  predecessor,"  and  we  will 
calculate  at  our  leisure  the  "  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  "  saved 
by  this  second  Solomon. 

God  bless  you, 

Your  friend,  D.  Porter. 
Saml.  Hambleton,  Esq.,  of  the  U.  S.  Navy,  Washington. 

*  Hampton  Roads,  April  29th,  1812. 

Dear  Hamhleton :  We  have  just  arrived,  without  having  any 
fight,  you  may  therefore  conclude  we  have  not  many  broken  bones. 
We  shape  our  course  to  the  south,  where  we  have  heard  of  the 
Guerriere  and  Shannon  ;  the  Congress  joins  us,  she  is  ready,  I  be- 
lieve, and  with  this  force  I  think  we  have  not  much  to  fear  from 
anything  we  shall  meet  on  our  coast;  this  augmentation,  however, 
takes  from  me  the  chance  of  getting  "  Gilded  spurs."  I  shall  cal- 
culate on  finding  a  letter  from  you  at  Norfolk ;  direct  your  next  to 
Chester,  where  I  hope  to  be  in  two  or  three  weeks  from  this  date. 
I  am  ignorant  of  what  is  going  on  in  the  world,  and  therefore  have 
no  news  to  give  you,  from  you  I  expect  a  great  deal  as  usual.  Our 
ships  are  in  fine  order,  our  crews  are  good ',  we  have  great  confi- 
dence in  our  Chef  dUscadron  Bainbridge,  and  I  think  that  the 
honor  of  our  flag  will  not  be  tarnished  by  us.  I  have  not  seen 
Smith ;  he  is  up  at  town.  I  am  told  he  is  pretty  well,  but  rather 
deaf.     God  bless  you  and  believe  me, 

Aff'ectionately  yours,         D.  Porter. 
S.  Hambleton  Esq.,  of  the  Navy,  Washington. 

Chester,  Oct.  19th,  1812. 
Dear  Hamhleton  :  In  two  or  three  days  I  sail  on  a  long,  a  very 
long  cruise ;  our  destination  and  intended  movements  I  am  not  at 
liberty  to  divulge,  perhaps  a  more  important  cruise  was  never  under- 
taken by  the  vessels  of  any  nation,  and  I  have  vanity  to  believe  that 
my  plan  for  the  '■^  first  campaign  "  produced  it  —  it  may  be  many 
months  before  you  hear  of  my  arrival  in  the  U.  S.,  and  if  you  hear 
of  me  at  all,  I  hope  the  accounts  may  not  be  unfavorable.  The 
winter  season  will  suit  for  sending  vessels  with  prospects  of  their 


102   '"  'Memoir  OF 'Commodore  David  Porter. 

safe  arrival  in  Newport,  and  to  that  place  it  is  not  improbable  they 
will  be  ordered. 

I  am  in  hopes  of  hearing  from  you  once  more  before  my  departure. 
I  have  no  news  to  give  you,  and  offer  my  best  wishes  for  your  well- 
fare  and  happiness  I  join  Bainb ridge. 

God  bless  you, 

D.  Porter. 


The  following  are  the  names  of  the  British  vessels  cap- 
tured by  the  Essex,  Captain  Porter,  from  the  3d  July, 
1812,  up  to  August  13th,  1812  : 

Brig.  Transport,  JSTo.  299.  Brig.  Lamprey.  Brig.  Le- 
ander.  Brig.  Hero.  Ship,  [N'ancy.  Brig.  Brothers.  Brig. 
King  George.     Brig.  Mary.     Ship  Alert,  20  guns. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


U  P  to  the  present  time  we  have  been  able  to  give  but  a 
cursory  view  of  Captain  Porter's  life,  the  limits  of  our 
biography  not  admitting  of  minute  details,  but  the  follow- 
ing account  of  his  proceedings  during  the  memorable 
cruise  of  the  Essex  demand,  and  will  receive  more  atten- 
tion. The  events  of  this  cruise  were  so  remarkable  that 
Porter's  narrative,  published  shortly  after  his  return  to  the 
United  States,  was  read  by  thousands  with  as  much  in- 
terest as  one  of  Cooper's  novels. 

In  the  early  part  of  this  century,  the  Pacific  ocean  was 
comparatively  little  known  to  the  world  at  large.  Our 
adventurous  .whalemen  and  fur  traders  published  very  few 
accounts  of  their  voyages,  while  the  explorations  of  Cook, 
LaPeyrouse,  Vancouver  and  others,  though  admirably 
given  to  the  world,  were  expensive  works,  in  those  days 
not  accessible  to  any  but  a  limited  number  of  readers. 
The  narrative  of  the  cruise  of  the  Essex,  written  by  Cap- 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         103 

tain  Porter  and  published  in  a  popular  form,  was  univers- 
ally read,  and  was  several  times  republished.  It  is  long 
since  out  of  print,  and  we  make  no  apology  for  extracting 
largely  from  its  pages,  as  while  it  bears  the  authority  of  an 
official  report  it  abounds  in  interesting  information  and 
striking  incident.  The  Essex  was  provided  with  every- 
thing necessary  for  a  long  cruise,  including  a  new  set  of 
sails  and  new  standing  rigging,  and  great  pains  had  been 
taken  to  fit  her  for  service.  As  much  provision  as  could 
be  stowed  was  received  on  board  with  plenty  of  vegetables 
and  lime  juice  as  anti-scorbutics,  and  the  sailors  were  pro- 
vided with  a  double  supply  of  clothing.  The  officers  and 
crew  were  aware  of  the  probable  length  of  the  cruise,  and 
having  recently  received  an  installment  of  prize  money 
had  provided  themselves  with  everything  necessary. 

While  Captain  Porter  had  a  great  regard  for  the 
appearance  of  his  vessel,  he  had  a  greater  care  for  the  happi- 
ness of  those  under  his  command ;  and  to  this  very  neces- 
sary attribute  of  an  officer  was  due  his  strong  hold  on  the 
affections  of  his  crew.  No  reasonable  officer  or  seaman 
will  object  to  discipline,  however  strict,  provided  his  com- 
mander does  his  duty,  sharing  their  discomforts  when 
necessity  requires,  and  contributing  to  their  welfare  when 
opportunity  will  allow.  Porter's  severity  was  ever  tem- 
pered by  humanity,  for  he  would  not  punish  a  man  with- 
out investigating  the  circumstances  of  his  case,  and  always 
pardoned  offenders  if  there  were  any  mitigating  circum- 
stances which  seemed  to  justify  it,  or  if  any  officer  would 
go  security  for  their  future  good  behaviour.  It  is  not 
probable  that  the  millenium  will  ever  arrive  on  board  a 
vessel  of  war,  for  amid  the  great  diversity  of  characters  that 
are  always  congregated  in  such  a  place,  some  are  sure  to 
be  found  apparently  destitute  of  moral  sense  and  inacces- 
sible to  moral  suasion.  There  were  certain  offenses  that 
could  not  go  unpunished  and  in  olden  times  the  cat 
and  the  colt  were  familiar  animals,  prowling  about  the 
gangway  in  search  of  their  prey,  but  from  the  affection  his 
sailors  always  showed  for  him,  and  the  ready  manner  in 
which  they  stood  by  him,  it  may  be  reasonably  supposed 
that  Porter  resorted  to  corporeal  punishment  as  seldom  as 
possible.     He  considered  the  cat-o'nine-tails  (though  au- 


104 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 


thorized  by  law  as  the  most  proper  punishment  for  sailors), 
as  a  relic  of  barbarism  which  should  not  have  been  adopted 
in  our  service.  It  was  necessary,  perhaps,  in  the  British 
navy,  in  which  was  so  large  a  proportion  of  desperate  char- 
acters and  men  torn  from  their  homes  by  ruthless  press 
gangs,  who  required  the  most  summary  and  severe  punish- 
ment to  keep  them  in  subjection.  This  disgraceful  method 
of  punishment  has  disappeared  both  from  our  own  and 
from  the  British  navy,  and  the  latter  service,  as  if  to  make 
amends  for  the  injustice  so  long  dealt  out  to  seamen,  have 
taken  the  lead  of  us  in  contributing  to  their  welfare.  The 
same  feelings  that  animate  officers  now  to  care  for  those 
who  fight  the  guns  and  manage  the  sails  in  storm  or 
calm,  influenced  Captain  Porter  in  1812,  and  hasty  and 
impulsive  though  he  was,  few  men  have  been  more  affec- 
tionately regarded  by  their  officers  and  sailors. 

I  deem  it  a  duty  to  the  memory  of  the  gallant  officers  of 
the  Essex  (for  I  presume  not  one  of  them  is  now  living),  to 
insert  a  list  of  their  names ;  their  descendants  will  be  pleased 
to  see  them  remembered  and  to  know  with  what  grateful 
kindness  they  were  spoken  of  by  their  old  commander  to 
the  latest  hour  of  his  life. 

List  of  Officers  of  the  U.  S.  S.  Essex, 


David  Porter, 

.     Captain. 

John  Downes, 

1st  Lieut. 

James  P.  Wilmer, 

.     2d  Lieut. 

James  Wilson, 

3d  Lieut. 

William  Finch,    . 

.     actg.  4th  Lieut 

Stephen  D.  McKnight,     . 

actg.  5th  Lieut. 

John  Q-.  Cowell, 

.     Sailing  Master. 

Eobert  Miller, 

Surgeon. 

David  P.  Adams, 

.     Chaplain. 

John  R.  Shaw, 

Purser. 

William  H.  Haddiway, 

.     Midshipman. 

David  G.  Farragut, . 

do 

Richard  Dashiell, 

do 

John  S.  Cowan, 

do 

Charles  T.  Clark, 

do 

William  H.  Odeuheimer, 

do 

Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 


105 


Henry  W.  Ogden, 
Henry  Gray,    . 
George  W.  Isaacs, 
William  W.  Feltus, 

.     Midsliipman. 
do 
do 
do 

Thomas  A.  Conover,  . 

do 

David  Tittermary,   . 
Eichard  K.  Hoffman,  . 

do 
.     Acting  Sur.  M 

Alexr.  M.  Montgomery,  . 
Edward  Linscott, 

do 
.     Boatswain. 

Lawrence  Miller, 

Gunner. 

David  I^avarro,    . 

.     Sailmaker. 

W.  W.  Bostwick,     . 

Capt's  Clerk. 

Wm.  P.  Pierce,  . 

.     Master's  Mate 

James  Terry,   . 

do 

Just  after  leaving  the  capes  of  the  Delaware  the  Essex 
encountered  a  gale,  and  being  very  deep  she  labored  so 
heavily  as  to  open  her  waterways  and  a  great  deal  of  the 
provisions  were  destroyed ;  but  by  taking  proper  precau- 
tions the  leak  did  not  increase.  Having  in  view  the  length  of 
the  cruise  the  crew  were  now  put  on  an  allowance  sufficient 
for  their  comfort,  to  which  they  cheerfully  acquiesced,  par- 
ticularly as  there  was  no  diminution  in  the  quantity  of 
grog  served  out.  The  first  thing  the  captain  did,  after  the 
gale  had  abated,  was  to  grant  a  pardon  for  all  offenses  that 
had  been  committed  on  board,  recommending  strict  con- 
formity with  discipline  for  the  future,  and  holding  out  a 
prospect  of  reward  to  all  those  who  were  faithful  in  the 
discharge  of  duty.  He  expressed  a  hope  that  punishment 
during  the  cruise  would  be  unnecessary,  but  cautioned  the 
vicious  not  to  depend  on  his  forbearance. 

So  great  was  his  care  to  preserve  the  health  of  the  crew, 
that  he  gave  Lieut.  Finch  charge  of  the  berth  deck,  to  see 
that  all  his  sanitary  regulations  were  carried  out ;  an  unu- 
sual degree  of  care  on  board  a  ship  of  war,  where  this  duty 
is  generally  entrusted  to  mates  of  decks.  Captain  Porter 
made  arrangements  for  keeping  the  men  constantly  and 
usefully  employed  during  working  hours,  allowing  them 
the  time  between  4  and  6  p.  m.  to  amuse  themselves,  when 
the  whole  ship  was  a  scene  of  noisy  merriment.  Alto- 
gether the  captain  pursued  a  course  well  adapted  to  make 


106         Memoik  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

men  contented  and  happy;  and  his  example,  in  this  re- 
spect, is  worthy  to  be  followed  by  future  commanders. 

The  Essex  shaped  her  course  to  strike  36°  1'  north  lati- 
tude 68°,  54'  west  longitude,  whence  she  steered  south  east 
hoping  to  cross  the  track  of  vessels  bound  from  England 
to  the  Bermudas,  and  those  from  the  West  Indies  to  Eu- 
rope. On  the  8th  of  E'ov.,  the  Essex  gave  chase  to  a 
stranger,  of  whom  she  afterwards  lost  sight  in  a  squall, 
which  vessel  was  supposed  to  be  the  TJ.  S.  sloop  of  war 
Wasp.  Between  the  8th  and  the  22d  several  vessels  were 
overhauled  and  spoken,  but  none  proved  to  be  prizes,  much 
to  the  disappointment  of  the  officers  and  crew. 

On  the  morning  of  the  27th  the  Essex  stood  into  the 
harbor  of  Porto  Praya  in  the  Cape  Yerd  islands,  one  of  the 
ports  appointed  by  Commodore  Bainbridge  as  a  place  of 
rendezvous.  Lieut.  Downes  was  sent  on  shore  to  commu- 
nicate with  the  authorities  ;  the  ship,  meanwhile,  lying  off 
and  on  with  the  American  flag  at  the  peak.  In  that 
enervating  climate  they  have  a  comfortable  custom  of 
going  to  sleep  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  so  when  Lieut. 
Downes  arrived  at  the  governor's  house  he  was  politely  in- 
formed that  his  excellency  could  not  be  disturbed,  but  the 
deputy  stated  that  he  would  guaranty  the  return  of  salutes 
and  any  other  civilities  that  Capt.  Porter  might  offer. 
The  Essex,  therefore,  remained  five  days  at  Porto  Praya, 
where  the  officers  and  crew  were  treated  with  great  kind- 
ness. The  governor  and  family  came  on  board  and  were 
received  with  all  the  honors.  His  excellency  had  from 
the  first  shown  himself  partial  to  the  Americans,  which 
was  rather  strange,  as  Portugal  had  at  the  time  a  treaty  of 
alliance  with  England  and  none  with  us.  The  fondness 
for  Americans  was  explained  by  the  fact  that  the  islanders 
had  a  considerable  trade  with  our  merchantmen,  while  the 
only  British  vessels  that  visited  them  were  ships  of  war, 
whose  officers,  by  their  haughty  bearing,  rather  disgusted 
their  Portuguese  allies.  Nothing  was  heard  of  Commodore 
Bainbridge,  and  the  governor  having  graciously  informed 
the  captain  that  he  was  at  liberty  to  depart,  a  white  flag 
was  hoisted  on  the  fort  to  intimate  the  fact  to  the  world  at 
large.  This  amused  the  Americans  very  much,  as  the  fort 
was  a  ricketty  aflair  that  the  Essex  could  have  demolished 


MbxMOir  op  Commodore  David  Porter.  107 

in  half  an  hour;  but  these  old.  conservatives  had  an  idea 
that  Portugal  was  one  of  the  great  powers  of  the  earth, 
and  that  everybody  must  conform  to  her  customs.  The 
Americans  did  not  stop  to  make  a  point  with  his  excel- 
lency, but  thanking  him  warmly  for  his  kindness,  sailed 
away  from  Porto  Praya,  the  best  feeling  existing  on  both 
sides. 

To  show  the  harmony  which  existed  between  Capt. 
Porter  and  his  crew,  we  will  mention  that  he  allowed  the 
sailors  to  lay  in  all  sorts  of  stores  at  Porto  Praya,  and 
among  other  things  a  quantity  of  pigs,  and  kids,  which 
were  very  numerous  at  the  islands  and  very  cheap.  The 
ship  was  literally  crowded  with  these  beasts  of  the  field. 
Imagine  the  horror  of  the  average  naval  martinet  under 
such  circumstances,  a  man  who  thinks  only  of  holy  stones 
and  bright  work,  and  to  whom  the  comfort  of  the  sailor 
is  the  last  consideration.  A  single  pig  in  the  eyes  of  such 
a  man  would  desecrate  the  whole  ship,  and  kids  (unless 
they  were  the  white  kids  worn  upon  his  dainty  hands) 
would  set  him  crazy.  However,  Captain  Porter  was 
obliged  to  curtail  this  indulgence  of  his  crew  in  livestock, 
for  the  animals  drank  so  much  water  that  an  edict  was 
issued  condemning  them  all  to  the  knife.  Many  a  petition 
was  sent  in  from  the  sailors  to  save  from  destruction  a 
favorite  animal  destined,  perhaps,  for  a  Christmas  dinner, 
with  assurances  from  the  owner  that  they  should  be  sup- 
plied from  their  own  allowance,  which  was  but  half  a 
gallon  a  day  for  each  man  ;  but  the  fiat  had  gone  forth  and 
none  of  the  numerous  pigs,  and  kids,  could  be  permitted 
to  live  without  the  appearance  of  partiality.  The  crew 
good  humoredly  acquiesced  in  the  captain's  decision,  but 
one  or  two  old  salts  (who  had  devoted  much  time  to  teach- 
ing their  favorite  pigs  the  accomplishment  of  grog  drink- 
ing) could  not  help  expressing  their  regret  at  the  loss  of 
the  rum  thus  expended.  Many  little  hints  might  be  taken 
from  the  management  of  ships'  crews  sixty  years  ago  that 
would  greatly  benefit  the  service  of  to-day,  by  strengthen- 
ing the  bonds  of  good  feeling  which  should  exist  between 
officers  and  crew ;  and  as  I  proceed  in  my  narrative  I  shall 
endeavor  to  indicate  some  of  these  particulars  in  the  hope 
that  the  naval  service  may  be  benefitted  thereby.  Nothing 


108         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

so  militates  against  the  health  of  a  ship's  company  as  im- 
perfect ventilation,  and  strange  to  say  very  little  trouble  is 
taken  to  guard  against  it.     Even  in  this  day  of  "  modern 
improvements  "  it  is  the  custom  to  crowd  men  at  night  on 
a  ship's  berth  deck  with  only  seventeen  inches  space  be- 
tween the  hammock  hooks.     How  shocking  to  sling  up 
three  or  four  hundred  men  in  hammocks  on  a  frigate's 
berth  deck  with  only  about  eleven  square  feet  for  each  per- 
son in  which  to  sleep,  and  inhale  the  foul  odors  engendered 
by  such  close  packing  on  a  deck  six  feet  high,  receiving  air 
through  two  hatchways  only,  each  eight  feet  square  !     How 
miserable  must  a  man  feel  who  has  slept  all  night  in  a  bag 
with  his  face  but  seventeen  inches  from  that  of  his  next 
neighbor,  the  whole  atmosphere  polluted  because  the  men 
exhaust  more  air  than  is  supplied  to  them.     Any  one  would 
suppose  that  such  things  would  be  looked  after  by  every 
commander,  and  proper  hygienic  regulations  would  be  es- 
tablished on  board,  to  maintain  the  efficiency  of  the  ship's 
company ;  but  in  the  early  days  of  the  navy,  when  it  was 
struggling  for  existence  without  organization,  such  matters 
were  left  wholly  to  the  consideration  of  the   individual 
commanding  officers ;  and  it  was  only  such  of  these  as  pos- 
sessed the  proper  attributes,  who  gave  the  subject  much 
attention.     We   remember   once   seeing   a  patent  pump 
placed  on  board  a  frigate,  for  the  purpose  of  freeing  the 
hold  from  foul  air.     It  was  faithfully  used  morning  and 
evening  till  late  in  the  cruise  ;  circumstances  requiring  it 
to  be  overhauled,  it  was  found  never  to  have  been  supplied 
with  the  necessary  buckets  to  ensure  its  answering  the 
purpose  intended.     This  same  captain  required  most  of  his 
crew  to  sleep  on  the  berth  deck,  giving  as  a  reason  that  it 
left  the  guns  unincumbered.     'Now  Captain  Porter  gave 
his  close  attention  to  all  these  matters,  placing  the  men 
stationed  at  the  gun  deck  battery  to  sleep  on  the  gun  deck, 
in  the  vicinity  of  their  guns.     Part  of  the  gun  deck  ports 
were  left  out  at  night  and  the  result  was  that  the  men,  in- 
stead of  being  weakened  and  depressed  by  a  night's  unrest, 
were  refreshed  and  invigorated  by  a  good  night's  sleep. 
So  w^hen  the  Essex  arrived  at  Porto  Praya  only  three  men 
were  on  the  sick  list,  a  remarkably  small  number  for  that 
day)  when  the  food  and  water  were  not  so  good  as  at 
present. 


Memoik  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         109 

After  leaving  Porto  Praya  the  course  was  shaped  for 
the  island  of  Fernando  IToronha,  off  Cape  St.  Roque  off 
the  coast  of  Brazil.  During  the  whole  voyage  Capt.  Por- 
ter took  great  pains  to  keep  meteorological  tables,  and 
made  numerous  observations  for  the  benefit  of  future 
navigators,  but  to  these  we  can  only  allude  in  passing. 

On  the  11th  of  December,  1812,  the  Essex  crossed  the 
equator  in  30°  W.  longitude,  and  next  day  a  sail  was  dis- 
covered to  windward,  having  the  appearance  of  a  British 
brig  of  war.  Chase  was  immediately  given,  and  at  6  p.m., 
the  stranger  displayed  a  signal.  With  a  view  of  decoying 
her,  Capt.  Porter  showed  such  British  signals  as  he  had 
become  possessed  of  during  the  last  cruise,  but  without 
avail.  At  sunset  the  vessel  hoisted  British  colors,  and 
after  dark  made  her  night  signals.  At  nine  o'clock  the 
Essex  was  within  musket  shot,  and  wishing  to  injure  the 
enemy  as  little  as  possible  Capt.  Porter  ordered  the  great 
guns  not  to  be  fired.  He  then  hailed  the  stranger,  and 
directed  her  to  heave  to ;  but,  as  the  order  was  not  com- 
plied with,  and  as  the  enemy  was  evidently  trying  to 
secure  a  position  in  order  to  rake  the  Essex,  and  so  escape 
in  the  confusion,  a  volley  of  musketry  was  poured  into  her, 
killing  one  of  her  crew,  whereupon  the  brig  surrendered. 
She  proved  to  be  H.  B.  M.  packet  ITocton,  mounting  ten 
guns,  and  with  a  crew  of  forty  men.  Specie  amounting  to 
$55,000  was  found  on  board,  and  removed  to  the  Essex. 
Lieut.  Finch  was  placed  in  command  of  the  prize,  and 
directed  to  proceed  to  the  United  States.  Seventeen  of 
the  Nocton's  crew  were  sent  in  her,  and  a  corresponding 
number  of  the  Essex's  men.  The  captain,  sailing  master, 
and  all  the  passengers  of  the  packet,  were  also  placed  on 
board,  after  giving  their  paroles,  with  the  privilege  of  em- 
barking in  any  vessel  they  might  fall  in  with  bound  to 
Europe. 

Captain  Porter  always  treated  his  prisoners  with  great 
consideration,  never  permitting  any  one  to  maltreat  or 
plunder  them,  and  the  officers  and  passengers  of  the  E'oc- 
ton  seemed  to  consider  their  trip  to  America  more  in  the 
light  of  an  agreeable  adventure  than  a  misfortune ;  yet, 
notwithstanding  his  invariable  humanity,  the  British  re- 
viewers, on  the  publication  of  Porter's  Journal,  character- 


110         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

ized  his  acts  as  a  "series  of  unprovoked  aggressions, 
extortion  and  cruelty  which  converted  disgust  into  horror," 
and  a  great  deal  more  of  the  same  kind  of  abuse,  in  which 
the  name  of  this  gallant  officer  was  associated  with  those 
of  the  most  sanguinary  pirates. 

There  was,  on  board  the  Nocton,  a  British  merchant 
from  Brazil ;  on  leaving  the  Essex  he  presented  the  Captain 
with  two  letters,  one  to  his  firm  in  Rio,  requesting  them 
in  case  Captain  Porter  put  in  there  to  show  him  every 
courtesy  for  his  very  generous  and  humane  conduct  to 
him  while  a  prisoner.  The  other  to  his  brother,  in  which 
he  says,  "  we  have  been  most  humanely  treated.  I  cannot 
inform  you  more  particularly,  having  given  my  word  of 
honor  not  to  disclose  anything  relative  to  our  capture.  I 
am  well  and  in  good  spirits,  and  request  you  will  make 
yourself  easy  respecting  me." 

As  the  Nocton  was  a  fine  vessel,  Captain  Porter,  in  his 
letter  to  the  secretary  of  the  navy,  recommended  that  she 
be  taken  into  the  navy  to  supply  the  place  of  the  Nautilus, 
captured  by  the  British  a  short  time  before. 

On  the  14th  December,  1812,  the  island  of  Fernando 
IToronha  was  discovered,  and  next  morning  Lieut.  Downes 
went  on  shore  in  plain  clothes,  with  directions  to  inform 
the  governor  that  the  ship  was  the  Fanny  of  London, 
Captain  Johnson,  bound  to  Rio  Janeiro,  sixty  days  out,  and 
in  want  of  refreshments.  That  the  ship  could  not  anchor, 
having  lost  all  her  ground  tackle,  &c.,  &c.  In  two  hours 
Mr.  Downes  returned  with  the  information  that  H.  B.  M. 
ships  Acosta  44,  and  Morgiana  20,  had  sailed  from  the 
island  within  a  week,  leaving  a  letter  for  Sir  James  Yeo 
to  be  sent  to  England  the  first  opportunity.  "Word  was 
immediately  dispatched  to  the  governor  that  the  captain 
of  the  Fanny  knew  Sir  James  very  well,  that  he  was  going 
direct  to  England  from  Brazil  and  would  take  charge  of 
the  letter  and  deliver  it  in  person.  The  letter  was  accord- 
ingly sent  on  board.  On  opening  the  document  it  was 
found  to  be,  as  had  been  surmised,  from  Commodore  Bain- 
bridge  and  read  as  follows : 

My  Dear  Mediterranean  Friend:  Probably  you  may  stop  here, 
don't  attempt  to  water  it  is  attended  with  too  many  difficulties.     I 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  Ill 

learned  before  I  left  England  that  you  were  bound  to  Brazil  coast, 
if  so  perhaps  we  may  meet  at  St.  Salvadore,  or  at  Rio  Janeiro.  I 
should  be  happy  to  meet  and  converse  on  our  old  affairs  of  captivity. 
Recollect  our  secret  in  these  times. 

Your  friend  of  H.  M.  ship  Acosta  Kerr,  Sir  James  Yeo  of  H.  B. 
M.  ship  Southampton. 

The  following  was  written  with  sympathetic  ink. 

"  I  am  bound  off  St.  Salvadore,  thence  off  Cape  Frio,  where  I  in- 
tend to  cruise  until  the  1st  of  January.  Go  off  Cape  Frio  to  the 
northward  of  Rio  and  keep  a  look  out  for  me. 

Your  friend  &c." 

This  letter  gave  Captain  Porter  all  the  information  he 
wanted,  and  hoisting  his  boat  he  immediately  sailed  to  the 
sonthw^ard. 

On  the  20th  of  Dec.  1812,  the  Essex  fell  in  with  a  Por- 
tuguese brig,  the  master  of  which  informed  him  that  an 
English  sloop  of  war,  laden  with  specie,  had  put  into 
St.  Salvadore  in  distress,  about  three  weeks  before.  It 
was  supposed  that  this  vessel  must  be  the  Bonne  Citoyenne, 
afterwards  blockaded  by  the  Hornet,  of  w^hich  vessel  intel- 
ligence had  been  received  from  the  E'octon.  The  tempta- 
tion to  go  in  search  of  such  a  prize  was  great,  but  thinking 
it  not  unlikely  that  the  commodore  would  fall  in  with  the 
Bonne  Citoyenne  on  his  arrival  off  St.  Salvadore,  Capt. 
Porter  thought  it  best  to  proceed  at  once  to  Cape  Frio  in 
obedience  to  the  hint  given  him  in  the  letter  received  at 
Fernando  Naronha. 

On  the  29th,  what  with  chasing  strange  vessels  and 
drifting,  our  voyagers  found  themselves  within  five  leagaes 
of  the  harbor  of  Kio  de  Janeiro,  when  the  lookout  at  the 
mast  head  descried  a  sail  to  windward  standing  out  of 
that  port.  Chase  was  immediately  given,  but  it  was  not 
until  9  P.M.  when  the  frigate  came  up  with  the  stranger. 
She  proved  to  be  the  British  schooner  Elizabeth  from  which 
they  learned  that  a  number  of  British  vessels  had  sailed 
the  night  previous  from  Rio  Janeiro  under  convoy  of  the 
three  masted  schooner  Juniper,  consisting  of  the  Eliza- 
beth, four  ships  and  a  cutter,  the  ships  represented  as 
deeply  loaded  and  dull  sailors.     The  prisoners  were  taken 


112         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

out  of  the  Elizabeth  and  a  prize  crew  under  Midshipman 
Clark  put  on  board ;  and  the  officer  was  directed  to  pro- 
ceed to  the  United  States,  or  to  Rio  de  Janeiro  as  he 
thought  proper.  The  Essex  then  followed  in  the  direction 
the  convoy  was  steering,  carrying  as  much  sail  as  was 
thought  prudent  so  as  not  to  endanger  the  masts ;  but,  next 
morning,  it  was  discovered  that  the  maintopmast  trussel 
trees  were  carried  away,  and  it  was  expected  that  the  top 
mast  rigging  and  top  gallant  mast  would  come  tumbling 
down,  but  the  damage  was  temporarily  repaired  by 
lashing  the  heel  of  the  top  gallant  mast,  and  taking  the 
strain  off  the  cross  trees,  and  sail  was  pressed  on  again. 

It  was  the  evident  desire  of  the  master  of  the  Elizabeth, 
who  remained  in  the  Essex,  to  deceive  Capt.  Porter  and 
deter  him  from  going  to  San  Salvadore,  which  made  the 
latter  believe  that  the  convoy  was  bound  to  meet  the 
Bonne  Citoyenne ;  and  that  the  Juniper  was  only  to  re- 
main in  charge  of  the  convey  until  the  junction  with  the 
larger  vessel  was  effected.  Several  disappointments  oc- 
curred during  this  chase,  clouds  being  taken  for  sails  as 
frequently  happens  in  those  latitudes  where  they  rise  slowly 
from  the  horizon  like  a  vessel  just  heaving  in  sight.  So 
great  is  the  illusion  that  the  navigator  is  frequently  de- 
ceived into  seeing  the  different  sails  set  or  furled  one  after 
another. 

Capt.  Porter  had  undoubted  information,  that  as  yet, 
only  three  British  ships  of  war  were  in  these  waters,  viz  : 
the  Montagu,  74,  at  Rio ;  the  l^ereus,  32,  at  the  River  la 
Plate ;  and  the  Bonne  Citoyenne  at  St.  Salvadore ;  so  he 
resolved  to  proceed  to  the  latter  place  in  the  hope  of  inter- 
cepting the  convoy,  or  failing  in  that,  to  join  the  Consti- 
tution and  Hornet  which  he  was  informed  were  blockading 
the  Bonne  Citoyenne. 

The  Essex  having  boarded  a  Portuguese  brig,  under 
British  colors,  Capt.  Porter  sent  word  by  the  master  to  the 
British  admiral  that  he  was  his  majesty's  frigate  Hyperion, 
seven  weeks  from  England,  bound  to  Rio,  but  hearing  that 
a  large  American  privateer  was  off  the  coast  he  intended 
to  cruise  for  her,  a  few  days,  before  going  into  port.  His 
motive  in  giving  this  information  was  to  keep  the  admiral 
in  port  where  he  was  lying,  when  the  Elizabeth  was  cap- 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         113 

tured.  Porter  felt  sure  that  if  he  could  join  the  Constitution 
and  Hornet  before  the  Montagu  could  get  to  San  Salva- 
vador,  the  three  ships  would  be  more  than  a  match  for  the 
ships  of  the  line.  Fresh  northerly  mnds  prevailed,  how- 
ever, bringing  with  them  a  very  heavy  head  sea.  The 
wind  increased  to  a  gale,  which  racked  the  Essex,  doing 
much  injury  to  masts  and  rigging ;  and  finding  that  the  ship 
was  not  gaining  anything  to  windward,  and  that  there  was 
no  prospect  of  cutting  oflT  the  convoy,  Capt.  Porter  gave  up 
further  pursuit,  and  stood  to  the  westward  to  get  on  the 
track  of  vessels  bound  to  Rio.  He  now  steered  for  St. 
Catharine's,  that  place  being  mentioned  in  his  instructions 
as  a  place  of  rendezvous,  and  he  knew  that  San  Sebastian 
was  an  unlikely  place  to  find  Commodore  Bainbridge,  as 
it  was  so  near  Rio  where  a  superior  British  force  was 
lying.  So  far,  the  Essex  had  been  unfortunate  in  not  en- 
countering British  vessels,  and  although  they  gave  chase 
to  many  sails,  they  almost  all  turned  out  to  be  Portuguese. 
The  British  merchantmen  generally  waited  in  port  until 
they  could  sail  with  a  convoy  and  in  perfect  security.  All 
this  time,  and  amid  their  disappointments,  the  health  of 
the  ship's  company  continued  remarkably  good.  They  had 
been  confined  to  two-thirds  allowance  of  salt  provisions, 
and  half  allowance  of  bread  without  a  murmur  being  heard ; 
but  the  rum  running  short,  it  was  found  necessary  to  re- 
duce proportionally,  the  allowance  of  liquor.  When  this 
was  announced,  every  man  in  the  ship  refused  to  receive  a 
drop  of  the  precious  nectar,  unless  they  could  have  their 
full  allowance;  stating  that  when  there  was  no  more,  they 
would  cheerfully  go  without  it,  but  as  long  as  it  lasted 
they  wanted  all  they  were  entitled  to.  As  there  was,  how- 
ever, but  a  small  quantity  of  spirits  on  board,  and  believ- 
ing that  a  sudden  deprivation  of  it  would  injure  the  health 
of  the  crew,  Capt.  Porter  declined  to  accede  to  their  wishes. 
He  directed  that  the  grog  tub  should  be  upset  fifteen 
minutes  after  the  crew  were  called  to  grog ;  the  consequence 
was  that  every  man  rushed  to  the  tub  for  fear  of  losing  his 
allowance,  and  no  further  complaint  was  heard.  The 
Captain  thoroughly  understood  the  character  of  sailors  ;  he 
was  particular  in  paying  them  their  money,  for  stopped 
rations,  at  the  end  of  each  month,  which  enabled  the  men 
15 


114  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

to  lay  in  supplies  of  fruits  and  vegeta'bles,  when  occasion 
offered.  Before  reaching  St.  Catharine's  the  Captain  di- 
vided among  the  men  a  large  portion  of  the  money  cap- 
tured on  board  the  ^octon,  at  which  they  were  much 
pleased ;  but  this  accession  of  funds  gave  rise  to  a  system 
of  gambling  to  which  he  soon  put  a  stop,  after  lecturing 
them  on  the  impropriety  of  such  conduct. 

On  the  20th  of  January,  1813,  the  Essex  anchored 
within  two  miles  of  the  principal  fortification  at  St.  Catha- 
rine's, which  stands  on  an  island,  about  one  hundred  yards 
from  the  main  land.  Here  the  usual  courtesies  were  passed 
with  the  authorities,  after  which  Capt.  Porter  proceeded 
to  lay  in  a  stock  of  water  and  fresh  provisions,  which  were 
with  difficulty  obtained.  A  few  days  after  the  Essex's  arri- 
val, a  small  Portuguese  vessel  came  in  and  gave  the  Ameri- 
cans the  information  that  an  American  corvette  of  22 
guns  had  come  into  Rio  a  few  days  before,  a  prize  to  the 
Montagu  74.  She  had  been  in  company  with  a  large 
frigate,  and  had  been  taken  off  Albrothas'  shoal.  The  Por- 
tuguese captain  also  informed  them  that  the  day  before  he 
sailed  from  Rio,  a  British  frigate  and  two  brigs  of  war 
had  arrived  from  England ;  that  two  American  schooners 
had  been  captured  and  sent  in  there ;  and  that  a  British 
60  gun  ship  was  shortly  expected  from  the  Cape  of  Grood 
Hope.  He  also  informed  them  that  a  British  convoy  and 
packet  had  been  taken  by  the  Americans,  the  latter  con- 
taining a  large  amount  of  specie,  and  that  an  American 
frigate  had  sunk  an  English  frigate. 

Pleasing  as  was  the  intelligence  of  the  capture  of  the 
convoy,  Capt.  Porter  felt  that  his  prospects  of  meeting 
Commodore  Bainbridge  were  very  small.  He  was  satisfied 
that  the  American  ship  of  war  reported  captured  was  the 
Hornet,  and  the  report  of  an  American  frigate  sinking  an 
English  vessel  no  doubt  referred  to  the  Constitution.  If 
this  latter  report  was  true.  Commodore  Bainbridge  would 
undoubtedly  seek  a  port  in  the  United  States,  as  he  would 
be  badly  cut  up  in  an  engagement  of  the  kind  reported. 
In  fact  the  Java  had  been  captured  off  San  Salvador  by 
the  Constitution. 

Porter  lost  no  time  in  making  up  his  mind  what  to  do, 
his  position  was  very  precarious.     Here  was  an  American 


Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter.  115 

frisrate,  cruising^  alone  on  a  coast  where  Britisli  influence 

CD  '  O 

predominated,  and  where  the  American  government,  yet 
in  its  infancy,  had  not  gained  sufficient  prestige  to  counter- 
act it.  As  for  any  protection  from  the  local  authorities, 
when  in  their  ports,  it  was  not  to  be  depended  on.  The 
United  States  had  made  no  arrangements  for  establishing 
supply  stations  abroad,  a  circumstance  that  operated  against 
us  then,  as  it  will  in  future  wars,  while  Great  Britain, 
always  having  a  war  on  hand  or  in  prospective,  had  made 
extensive  arrangements  in  different  parts  of  the  world,  to 
have  her  ships  of  war  supplied  with  every  thing  needful. 
A  few  days  would  carry  to  Rio  the  news  of  the  Essex's 
presence  at  St.  Catharine's  ;  and  he  feared  that  the  English 
would  n^t  respect  the  neutrality  of  that  port,  a  supposition 
in  which  he  was  doubtless  correct ;  and  being  now  thrown 
on  his  own  resources,  Capt.  Porter  determined  to  proceed 
around  Cape  Horn  into  the  Pacific,  where  he  could  carry 
out  the  cherished  scheme  he  had  arranged  (before  leaving 
home)  with  Commodore  Bainbridge. 

To  think  with  Porter  was  to  act,  and  as  soon  as  the  above 
information  reached  him,  he  made  signal  "  All  hands  repair 
on  board ;  and  that  same  night  proceeded  to  sea,  with  the 
loss  of  one  anchor  and  two  of  the  men,  who  absented  them- 
selves from  the  boat.  When  a  good  offing  had  been 
made,  the  captain  called'upon  the  purser  for  an  account 
of  provisions,  and  found  that  there  was  but  three  months 
bread  on  board,  at  half  allowance.  There  was  no  port  on 
the  coast  where  a  supply  could  be  had,  without  great  risk 
of  capture  or  blockade,  which  was  quite  as  bad ;  and  an 
attempt  to  return  to  the  United  States,  at  that  season,  with 
the  coast  swarming  with  British  cruisers,  would  be  equiva- 
lent to  throwing  the  Essex  into  their  hands.  So  he  de- 
termined to  run  all  risks,  and  trust  to  getting  supplies  on 
the  coast  of  Chili. 

The  events  of  the  cruise,  around  Cape  Horn,  would  not 
particularly  interest  the  general  reader.  It  was  a  boister- 
ous voyage,  requiring  all  the  skill  of  a  thorough  seaman 
to  avoid  the  loss  of  sails  and  spars.  Any  one,  reading 
Porter's  daily  journal,  would  be  struck  with  the  fore- 
thought he  exhibited,  on  all  occasions,  in  preparing  for 
the  difficulties  that  were  constantly  arising. 


116  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

The  Essex  had  now  been  absent  three  months  from  the 
United  States,  of  which  time,  only  seven  days  had  been 
passed  in  port;  and  it  can  be  imagined,  that  with  the 
storms  encountered,  and  the  press  of  sail  she  had  often  to 
carry,  that  Porter  and  his  officers  must  have  paid  great 
attention  to  keeping  the  ship  in  good  repair,  to  allow  the 
undertaking  of  a  voyage  around  Cape  Horn  without  any 
preparation  for  it.  Nothing  could  show  Porter's  character 
and  abilities  better  than  this  circumstance.  He  had  now 
been  but  fourteen  years  in  the  nav}^  was  commanding  a 
fine  frigate,  and  left  to  his  own  resources  to  act  against 
the  strongest  naval  power  in  the  world.  We  are  led  to 
dwell  upon  this,  in  consequence  of  so  often  hearing  com- 
manding officers  of  the  present  day,  complaining  at  the 
hardship  of  being  obliged  to  go  to  sea,  with  such  young 
lieutenants,  graduates  of  the  naval  academy  where  every 
facility  is  offiired  for  an  officer  to  become  familiar  with  his 
profession.  The  particular  deficiency  complained  of,  is  in 
seamanship,  which  is  the  most  important  of  all  branches 
of  the  naval  profession. 

It  must  be  remembered,  that  these  young  officers  are 
actually  eight  or  ten  years  in  the  service,  before  they 
reach  the  rank  of  lieutenant.  There  must,  therefore,  be 
something  radically  wrong,  which  will  not  enable  these 
gentlemen  to  take  command  of  a  ship's  deck,  now  that 
steam  has  almost  usurped  the  place  of  sails;  and,  there  is 
often  little  more  to  do,  than  to  direct  the  course  of  a 
machine,  almost  as  easy  to  manage  as  a  wheelbarrow ! 

The  fault  of  the  system  is  not  so  much  in  the  deficiency 
of  professional  knowledge,  as  in  the  conduct  of  the  com- 
manding officers,  who  do  not  allow  the  young  men  to  build 
upon  the  groundwork  laid  at  the  naval  academy ;  and,  if 
they  would  force  them  into  responsible  positions,  and  enable 
them  to  think  for  themselves,  there  would  be  less  com- 
plaint. 

Another  glaring  defect  in  the  system  of  educating  young 
officers,  is  making  mathematics  take  such  a  prominent 
position  on  the  list  of  qualifications  required.  Of  course 
it  is  necessary  that  an  officer  should  be  proficient  in  this 
branch  ;  but  it  will  not  give  him  that  knowledge  which  is 
necessary  to  manoeuvre  and  fight  a  ship.     Mathematical 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         117 

minds  are  generally  influenced  by  certain  rules,  which  pre- 
vent them  from  arriving  at  prompt  conclusions ;  and  it 
often  happens,  that  a  man  with  a  fondness  for  mathematics, 
becomes  so  infatuated  with  his  formulce  as  to  lose  all  taste 
for  the  less  abstruse,  but  far  more  important  parts  of  his 
profession.  Such  a  man  will  make  an  excellent  teacher 
of  mathematics,  but  may  not  make  a  good  admiral  to 
fight  a  fleet.  Aptitude  for  the  profession,  is  a  more  ne- 
cessary qualification  than  the  knowledge  of  many  of  the 
subjects  taught  at  a  naval  academy.  A  lad  who  has  this 
aptitude  must  be  intelligent,  and  will  probably  stand  well 
in  all  branches  ;  though  he  may  not  stand  at  the  head  in 
any.  It  is  possible  to  evince  the  highest  aptitude  for  the 
practical  duties  of  a  naval  life,  which  comprehend  sea- 
manship, gunnery,  navigation  and  general  information, 
without  the  knowledge  of  a  single  algebraic  sign.  Hence, 
it  often  occurs  that  a  lad,  with  all  these  qualifications,  fails 
at  his  final  examination,  from  the  fact  that  he  is  "  deficient " 
in  mathematics ;  that  is,  he  wants  the  fractional  part  of  a 
figure,  to  enable  him  to  secure  a  "  passing  average ;  "  which, 
by  regulation,  has  become  as  fixed  a  matter  as  one  of  the 
laws  of  the  Medes  and  Persians.  This  seems  an  unwise 
regulation,  for  the  rule  should  be  modified  to  suit  circum- 
stances; professional  aptitude  being  taken  into  considera- 
tion, when  a  lad  falls  behind  a  little  in  mathematics.  It 
costs  the  government  about  $28,000,  to  graduate  a  cadet 
midshipman,  and  then  to  hear  that  a  commander  cannot 
sleep  for  want  of  confidence  in  his  lieutenant's  knowledge 
of  seamanship,  makes  us  sigh  for  the  days  of  old,  when  young 
men  seemed  to  imbibe  seamanship  the  moment  their  feet 
touched  a  ship's  deck. 

But  to  return  to  our  subject.  The  Essex  seemed  to  have 
a  great  deal  of  ill  luck,  with  head  winds  and  foul  weather, 
in  her  passage  to  Cape  Horn.  As  to  prizes,  they  were 
hardly  to  be  looked  for  on  the  course  she  was  sailing ; 
however,  the  crew  had  perfect  health,  and  great  confidence 
in  their  commander.  After  passing  the  latitude  of  the 
Straits  of  Magellan,  the  ship  kept  along  the  coast  of  Terra 
del  Fuego,  to  pass  through  the  Straits  of  Le  Maire ;  but,  in 
approaching  Staten  Land,  the  weather  setting  in  very  heavy 
and  the  wind  increasing,  the  Captain  found  himself  almost 


118  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

in  the  breakers  before  lie  knew  it;  and  the  ship  was 
extricated  from  her  perilous  position  with  some  difficulty. 
His  calculations  had  been  so  good,  that  notwithstanding 
head  winds  and  currents,  he  found  himself  in  the  middle 
of  the  passage,  and  made  all  sail  to  the  southward. 

It  would  be  tedious  to  recount  all  the  events  of  the 
passage  around  Cape  Horn,  and  the  struggles  against 
dreadful  weather  in  that  stormy  ocean.  Everything  that 
could  be  done  to  get  the  ship  safely  through,  and  to  keep 
up  the  spirits  of  the  men,  was  done;  and,  though  the 
struggle  was  a  severe  one,  they  succeeded,  and  soon  forgot 
their  hardships  in  more  genial  climes  ;  thinking  with  satis- 
faction, of  the  host  of  enemies  whom  they  had  left  behind, 
to  verify  the  old  saying  "  a  stern  chase  is  a  long  chase." 

On  the  24th  of  February,  1813,  the  Essex  was  considered 
to  be  fairly  in  the  Pacific;  the  skies  became  serene,  and 
they  were  able  to  make  sail,  this  being  the  first  pleasant 
weather  experienced  since  leaving  Staten  Land.  With 
all  their  hardships,  the  health  of  the  crew  was  better  than 
when  the  ship  left  the  United  States ;  and  the  weather 
being  now  settled,  all  hands  went  to  work,  with  smiling 
faces,  to  repair  damages;  the  guns  that  had  been  dis- 
mounted, were  got  up  from  below,  and  all  were  happy  at 
the  prospect  of  soon  reaching  some  Chilian  port. 

On  the  6th  of  March  the  ship  anchored  in  a  harbor  in 
the  Island  of  Mocha.  Here,  the  oflicers  arid  crew  landed, 
and  shot  some  pigs  and  horses  which  aflbrded  savory  food 
after  their  long  abstinence  from  fresh  meat ;  the  horses 
being  preferred  to  the  hogs  as  the  latter  had  an  unpalata- 
ble flavor. 

On  the  7th,  at  dayhght,  the  Essex  was  obliged  to  leave 
this  place  and  put  to  sea,  having  started  her  anchor  in  a 
fresh  breeze  that  sprung  up.  It  was  necessary  to  go  into 
port,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  11th,  Capt.  Porter  stood 
in,  and  reconnoitred  the  town  of  Valparaiso,  which,  with 
its  numerous  shipping  and  long  line  of  white  buildings,' 
aflbrded  a  pleasant  sight  to  those  on  board  the  frigate. 
Capt.  Porter  kept  the  sea,  however,  until  the  15th,  when 
he  went  in  and  anchored  ofl^the  town. 

To  a  seafearing  man,  the  reading  of  Porter's  Journal, 
with  its  recommendations  as  to  the  best  method  of  passing 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         119 

safely  around  Cape  Horn,  would  be  full  of  interest ;  and 
in  former  years,  when  charts  and  sailing  directions  were 
not  so  common  as  at  present,  Porter's  Journal  was  much 
in  vogue  with  seafaring  men ;  as  well  for  the  nautical 
information  it  contains,  as  for  the  interesting  details  of  the 
exciting  adventures  of  the  little  frigate,  whose  name  is  so 
famous  in  our  naval  history.  The  book  is  still  quoted, 
and  will  ever  remain  a  valuable  work  of  reference. 


CHAPTER  YIII. 


JjEFORE  entering  the  port  of  Valparaiso,  Capt.  Por- 
ter took  every  precaution  to  discover  if  any  of  the  enemy's 
cruisers  were  there ;  since  he  had  no  reason  to  suppose 
that  the  authorities  would  prove  hospitable,  or  protect 
him  against  a  superior  force  of  English  ships.  Previous 
to  anchoring,  Lieut.  Downes  was  sent  on  shore  to  in- 
form the  governor  that  the  Essex  was  a  United  States  fri- 
gate much  in  need  of  supplies,  her  store  ship  having  been 
lost  off  Cape  Horn,  and  that  Capt.  Porter  claimed  his  hos- 
pitality. The  Captain  was  induced  to  use  this  little  artifice, 
from  a  knowledge  of  the  unaccommodating  character  of 
the  Spaniards,  who  always  imposed  restrictions  on  foreign 
vessels  entering  the  ports  of  their  American  possessions. 
From  the  stand  the  United  States  had  taken  not  long 
before,  in  relation  to  the  Floridas,  Porter  had  no  hope  of 
being  treated  with  much  consideration  by  the  Spaniards ; 
but  he  hoped,  under  plea  of  distress,  to  extort  permission 
to  take  in  a  supply  of  provisions  and  fill  up  his  water  casks. 
However,  before  the  Essex  reached  her  anchorage,  the 
captain  of  the  port  came  on  board  in  company  with  Lieut. 
Downes,  with  the  offer  of  every  civility  and  assistance  that 
Valparaiso  could  afford. 


120  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

Capt.  Porter  now  learned,  to  his  suprise,  that  the  Chi- 
lians had  renounced  their  allegiance  to  Spain ;  that  all 
her  ports  were  open  to  the  world,  and  that  they  looked  to 
the  United  States  for  example  and  assistance ;  and  that  the 
presence  of  the  Essex  was  a  particularly  welcome  event,  as 
their  commerce  had  been  harrassed  by  corsairs,  sent  by  the 
viceroy  of  Peru,  to  capture  all  American  vessels  bound  to 
Chilian  ports.  It  was  further  stated,  that  -^ve  of  the 
Peruvian  corsairs  had  disappeared  from  before  Valparaiso 
only  a  few  days  before,  after  capturing  several  American 
whalers  and  sending  them  to  Callao. 

This  news  was  a  great  relief  to  those  on  board  the  Essex, 
who  now  saw  a  prospect  of  finding  shelter  in  friendly 
ports  while  on  the  coast  of  Chili,  and  of  a  speedy  depart- 
ure from  Valparaiso  to  carry  out  their  commander's 
cherished  plans  against  the  enemy's  commerce.  After 
saluting  the  town  with  21  guns,  which  were  promptly  re- 
turned, the  Captain,  and  officers  of  the  Essex,  paid  their 
respects  to  the  Governor  Don  Francisco  Lastre,  who  re- 
ceived them  with  great  kindness.  The  American  brig 
Colt,  which  was  at  anchor  in  the  port,  saluted  the  Essex 
with  nine  guns,  which  were  returned  with  seven;  so  that 
very  unexpectedly  to  those  on  board  the  frigate,  this  had 
proved  a  day  of  jubilee.  Had  the  Spanish  flag  been  flying, 
it  is  likely  the  Essex  would  have  been  refused  admission. 

The  Americans  soon  found,  by  associating  with  the 
government  attaches,  that  they  were  among  a  set  of 
staunch  republicans,  anxious  to  establish  a  state  of  things 
such  as  existed  in  the  United  States.  Though  it  could 
not  be  concealed  that  some  of  the  old  Spanish  leaven  still 
existed  among  them,  and  in  forming  a  government  of 
liberty  and  equality,  a  few  designing  men  were  striving  to 
obtain  despotic  power.  Hence  it  was,  that  although  the 
governor,  an  ex-officer  in  the  Spanish  navy,  had  been 
chosen  on  account  of  his  supposed  liberal  principles,  he 
was  an  extremely  mild  sort  of  republican,  evidently  de- 
sirous of  keeping  on  the  right  side  in  event  of  Chili 
again  resuming  its  allegiance  to  Spain.  However,  his 
friendly  sentiments  towards  the  Americans  were  evidently 
sincere,  and  were  duly  appreciated  by  those  on  board  the 
frigate. 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  121 

A  courier  was  immediately  dispatched  to  the  city  of 
Santiago,  the  capital  of  Chili,  to  inform  the  American 
consul  general,  Mr.  Poinsett,  of  the  arrival  of  the  Essex; 
and  arrangements  were  made  for  a  supply  of  wood,  water 
and  provisions,  which  latter  were  cheap  and  abundant. 

The  governor  and  suite  next  visited  the  Essex,  and 
were  received  with  appropriate  honors.  Many  of  the 
natives  had  never  before  seen  a  frigate,  the  Essex  being 
the  first  that  had  entered  the  port  within  their  recollection. 
The  Standard,  a  British  ship  of  the  line,  had  called  at  Val- 
paraiso four  months  previously,  on  her  way  to  Lima,  but  ow- 
ing to  some  misunderstanding,  there  was  little  intercourse 
between  her  officers  and  the  Chilians.  The  governor  and 
suite  remained  on  board  for  two  hours,  visiting  every  part 
of  the  ship,  and  were  much  astonished  that  Anglo-Ameri- 
cans as  they  called  our  people,  could  build  and  manage  a 
vessel  of  such  large  size. 

Next  evening,  the  governor  entertained  the  captain  and 
officers  of  the  Essex  at  his  residence. 

A  few  days  afterwards,  Capt.  Porter  received  an  invita- 
tion from  the  American  consul  general,  in  the  name  of  the 
Chilian  government,  to  visit  the  capital.  It  seems  that 
the  news  of  the  Essex's  arrival  in  Valparaiso  was  received 
with  great  joy  at  Santiago,  the  bells 'were  rung  and  the 
city  illuminated.  It  was  believed  that  Captain  Porter  had 
brought,  from  his  government,  proposals  for  alliance  with 
Chili  and  assurances  of  assistance  to  the  latter,  in  her 
struggle  for  independence.  Had  the  United  States  taken 
this  course  with  the  Spanish  American  republics,  in  their 
early  efforts  for  independence,  openly  espousing  their 
cause  as  we  were  bound  to  do,  we  should  now  exercise  an 
immense  influence  over  the  whole  continent,  and  Ameri- 
can prestige  would  control  every  nation  bordering  on  the 
Pacific  ocean;  but  we  did  nothing  of  the  kind,  and 
although  ourselves  greatly  indebted  to  foreign  aid,  for 
that  independence  we  prize  so  highly,  yet  we  shut  our 
ears  to  the  appeals  of  those  little  republics  for  help,  in 
their  desperate  struggle  for  life  and  liberty.  By  acting  on 
the  selfish  principles  laid  down  by  our  first  president,  who 
desired  us  to  abstain  from  "  entangli^g  alliances ;  "  or,  in 
other  words  to  refuse  assistance ,  to  weaker  nations,  we 
16 


122         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

Lave'  alienated  all  the  Spanish  American  governments, 
and  given  English  merchants  a  predominating  influence. 
But  to  return  to  the  Essex.  Capt.  Porter,  desirous  of 
making  some  acknowledgment  for  the  kind  attentions  he 
had  received,  invited  the  ladies  of  Valparaiso  to  a  ball  on 
board  his  ship,  on  conclusion  of  an  entertainment  given  at 
the  house  of  Mr.  Blanquo  the  vice  consul.  The  consul 
general  had  meanwhile  arrived  from  Santiago,  and  been 
saluted  with  eleven  guns. 

While  the  captain  and  officers  of  the  Essex  were  on 
shore,  with  boats  to  take  the  ladies  to  the  ship,  which 
had  been  prepared  for  their  entertainment,  an  officer 
came  to  inform  Captain  Porter  that  a  large  frigate  had 
appeared,  and  was  standing  in  toward  the  harbor.  All 
took  an  unceremonious  leave  of  the  fair  senoritas,  and  re- 
paired immediately  on  board,  where  Capt.  Porter  found 
that  his  young  first  lieutenant,  anticipating  his  wishes,  had 
the  ship  all  ready  for  getting  underway.  The  stranger 
was  made  out  to  be  a  32  gun  frigate,  the  Essex's  cables 
were  cut  and  she  was  soon  under  a  cloud  of  sail  steering 
for  the  approaching  vessel,  which,  to  the  intense  disap- 
pointment of  all  hands,  proved  to  be  a  Portuguese  frigate 
in  quest  of  a  supply  of  flour  for  Lisbon.  As  there  was 
every  prospect  of  an  engagement,  when  the  Essex  left  the 
harbor,  Mr.  Poinsett  and  several  Americans  and  Spaniards, 

including  ,  went  on  board  to  share  the  dangers, 

and  were  seemingly  much  disappointed  at  the  turn  of 
affiiirs.  The  hills  too  were  covered  with  spectators  all 
praying  for  the  success  of  the  Americans.  As  to  the 
ladies  who  had  been  invited  to  the  ball  on  board,  they 
were  all  on  the  hills  watching  the  Essex,  and  frankly 
acknowledged  that  the  sight  of  an  engagement  would 
more  than  compensate  for  the  loss  of  the  entertainment 
on  shipboard. 

Next  day,' the  wind  being  light,  the  ship  returned  to  her 
old  anchorage ;  and  by  means  of  drags  (an  invention  of 
Capt.  Porter),  recovered  her  cables  which  had  been  slipped 
so  suddenly  when  the  strange  frigate  hove  in  sight. 

The  captain  and  his  officers  made  themselves  very  popu- 
lar with  the  citizens  of  Valparaiso,  by  means  of  those 
attentions  which   American  naval  officers  delight  to  ex- 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  123 

tend  to  foreigners,  frequently  to  their  own  pecuniary 
disadvantage,  in  cases  where  the  expense  should  properly 
devolve  on  our  government.  Foreign  officers  are  liberally 
supplied  by  their  governments  with  the  means  of  enter- 
taining and  returning  national  courtesies,  while  our 
government  has  ever  been  willing  to  allow  its  naval  offi- 
cers to  expend  for  this  purpose  a  portion  of  their  own 
small  pay.  The  evening  before  the  Essex  was  to  depart 
from  Valparaiso,  the  governor  and  wife,  with  many  of  the 
citizens,  paid  a  farewell  visit  to  the  ship. 

Just  previous  to  their  leaving  port,  an  American  whale 
ship  arrived ;  and  the  master,  whose  name  was  Worth,  in- 
formed Capt.  Porter  that  a  few  days  before  he  had  spoken 
two  armed  English  whale  ships  off  the  coast ;  that  three 
other  American  whale  ships  were  in  company,  and  that  the 
Englishmen  gave  him  the  first  intelligence  he  had  received, 
of  the  declaration  of  war  with  England.  They  further  in- 
formed him  that  they  were  daily  in  expectation  of  receiving 
authority  to  capture  American  merchant  vessels.  Capt. 
Worth  told  Captain  Porter  that  there  were  several  English 
whalers  cruising  among  the  Galapagos  islands,  and  off  the 
coast  of  Peru,  and  recommended  him  to  proceed  to  those 
places,  where  he  would  be  certain  to  meet  them,  with  such 
detailed  information  of  their  movements  as  he  gave.  This 
gentleman  represented  our  whalers,  who  were  numerous, 
as  in  a  helpless  condition,  exposed  to  capture  by  the  armed 
English  merchant  vessels,  carrying  from  fifteen  to  twenty 
guns  each  and  well  manned.  As  our  whale  ships  kept 
the  sea  for  six  months  at  a  time,  most  of  them  were  ignor- 
ant that  war  existed,  and  were  liable  to  fall  an  easy  prey  to 
the  British.  Captain  Worth  also  reported  that  a  British 
letter-of-marque  had  captured  an  American  ship,  and  car- 
ried her  into  Callao ;  but  the  government  of  Peru  had  not 
permitted  her  to  remain,  and  she  had  proceeded  to  St. 
Helena  to  take  convoy  for  England. 

The  pleasant  time  spent  by  Captain  Porter  and  his 
officers  and  crew  with  the  hospitable  citizens  of  Valparaiso, 
did  not  for  a  moment  prevent  their  making  every  prepara- 
tion for  sea;  although,  considering  the  long  and  stormy 
passage  round  Cape  Horn,  they  would  have  been  excusa- 
ble in  desiring  a  longer  relaxation  ;  but  one  and  all  burned 


124  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

to  pursue  the  enemy,  and  one  week  after  they  dropped 
anchor,  they  were  agam  underway  and  standing  to  the 
northward. 

At  daylight  on  the  morning  of  the  25th,  a  sail  was  re- 
ported to  the  I^.  E.,  and  chase  was  given.  She  proved  to 
be  the  American  whale  ship  Charles,  four  months  from 
Lima,  where  she  had  been  sent  by  a  Peruvian  privateer, 
but  was  liberated  after  paying  costs.  It  appears  that 
every  nation,  that  chose  to  do  so,  preyed  upon  our  com- 
merce, merely  because  our  government  was  too  economi- 
cal to  maintain  vessels  of  war,  in  distant  seas,  sufficient  for 
its  protection,  wasting  their  means  on  a  lot  of  gunboats 
which  were  almost  useless  for  any  purpose.  Capt.  Gard- 
ner informed  Capt.  Porter,  that  two  days  before,  in  com- 
pany with  the  American  whale  ships  Walker  and  Barclay, 
he  had  been  chased  and  fired  into  by  a  Spanish  and 
an  English  ship  which  had  taken  possession  of  the  above 
named  vessels.  Sail  was  consequently  crowded  on  the 
Essex  for  Coquimbo,  in  the  hope  of  coming  up  with  those 
ships ;  the  Charles  keeping  in  company. 

At  8  A.M.,  chase  was  given  to  a  sail  to  the  northward, 
and  at  meridian  the  Essex  was  close  enough  to  discover 
her  to  be  a  vessel  of  war  disguised  as  a  whaler.  She  soon 
showed  Spanish  colors,  when  English  colors  were  hoisted 
on  board  the  Essex,  and  a  gun  fired  to  leeward,  which  the 
Spaniard  returned.  Directions  had  been  given  to  the . 
Charles  to  hoist  an  English  Jack  over  the  American  ensign. 
When  within  a  mile  of  the  Essex,  the  Spaniard  continuing 
to  approach,  fired  a  shot  across  the  frigate's  bow  for  no 
apparent  reason  unless  to  show  his  arrogance.  Captain 
Porter,  recognizing  the  vessel  as  one  that  had  long  been 
harrassing  our  commerce,  was  so  exasperated  that  he  in- 
tended to  fire  a  broadside  into  her,  but  reflecting  that  he 
was  under  British  colors,  and  that  the  insult  was  not  in- 
tended for  the  American  flag,  he  contented  himself  by 
throwing  a  few  shot  over  the  Spaniard,  who  soon  lowered 
a  boat  and  sent  her  to  the  Essex.  Perceiving  the  boat  to 
be  armed,  Capt.  Porter  sent  her  back  with  orders  to  the 
Spanish  captain,  to  run  dowm  under  his  lee  and  repair  on 
board  to  apologize.  The  boat  soon  returned  with  a  lieu- 
tenant bringing  the  vessel's  commission,  and  stating  that 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  125 

the  captain  was  too  sick  to  leave  his  cabin.  The  vessel 
proved  to  be  the  Peruvian  privateer  [t^ereyda  of  fifteen  guns ; 
and  from  her  the  information  was  obtained  that  she  was  cruis- 
ing for  American  vessels,  and  had  captured  the  Barclay 
and  Walker  at  Coquimbo,  but  the  British  letter-of-marque, 
JSTimrod,  had  driven  the  Spaniard  off,  and  taken  possession 
of  the  two  whalers.  The  privateer  was  in  search  of  the 
Nimrod,  for  which  vessel  he  had  mistaken  the  Essex.  The 
lieutenant  stated  that  the  Spaniards  were  the  allies  of 
Great  Britain,  whose  flag  had  always  been  respected,  and 
that  the  privateer's  sole  object  in  cruising  was  the  capture 
of  American  vessels.  He  admitted  that  the  crews  of  the 
Barclay  and  Walker  were  on  board  his  ship;  in  fact, 
made  all  the  confessions  necessary  for  his  condemnation. 
On  investigation,  it  was  found  that  the  Americans  on  board 
the  l^ereyda,  to  the  number  of  twenty-three,  had  been 
plundered  of  everything  they  possessed;  the  Spaniards  as- 
signing no  other  motive  for  their  capture,  except  that  they 
were  Americans.  Both  vessels  had  full  cargoes  of  oil  and 
were  on  their  return  to  the  United  States  when  captured, 
having  simply  put  into  Coquimbo  for  refreshments.  Capt. 
Porter  now  showed  the  stars  and  stripes  at  his  peak,  and 
fired  two  shots  over  the  freebooter  without  much  thought 
where  they  struck,  and  the  Spaniard  hauled  down  his  colors. 
jN'ext  morning  Capt.  Porter  directed  all  the  Spaniard's 
guns  and  ammunition  to  be  thrown  overboard,  together 
with  her  light  sails,  and  sent  her  back  to  Callao  under 
courses,  with  a  letter  to  the  governor  of  Lima,  in  which 
he  says : 

"  I  have  therefore  to  ensure  the  good  understanding  which  should 
ever  exist  between  the  government  of  the  United  States  and  the 
provinces  of  Spanish  America,  determined  to  prevent  in  future 
such  vexatious  and  piratical  conduct,  and  with  this  view  have  deprived 
the  Nereyda  of  the  means  of  doing  American  commerce  any  further 
harm  for  the  present;  and  have  sent  her  to  Lima,  in  order  that  her 
commander  may  meet  with  such  punishment  from  your  excellency, 
as  his  offence  has  deserved." 

We  may  imagine  the  feelings  of  the  haughty  viceroy, 
on  receipt  of  this  letter,  from  an  officer  belonging  to  a 
government  of  which  he  knew   scarcely  anything.     The 


126  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

commander  of  the  Essex  no  doubt,  had  the  case  of  the. 
Tripolitan  corsair  Mahomet  Sous  in  his  mind  when  he 
ordered  the  Spanish  vessel  to  be  dismantled;  though  he 
had  little  hope  that  the  pirate  would  receive  the  bastinado 
like  his  Turkish  prototype.  The  capture  of  the  ^t^ereyda 
had  however,  the  effect  intended,  for  the  Spaniards  never 
ao^ain  troubled  our  vessels  while  the  Essex  remained  in 
those  waters. 

Captain  Porter  now  stood  in  for  Coquimbo  to  look  for 
the  Mmrod  and  her  two  prizes.  A  boat  was  sent  in  at 
night  under  Lieut.  Downes,  and  every  part  of  the  harbor 
examined ;  the  fort,  in  the  meanwhile,  firing  alarm  guns  at 
the  sight  of  the  Essex's  lights  displayed  to  show  the  boat 
her  position.  Finding  the  Mmrod  was  not  in  this  vicinity. 
Porter  determined  to  follow  her,  as  her  capture  was  of  the 
greatest  importance  to  our  commerce.  He  communicated 
his  intention  to  Captains  Gardner  and  West,  advising  the 
former  to  take  the  Charles  to  Coquimbo  and  demand  pro- 
tection, and  the  latter  to  proceed  to  St.  Jago  and  lay  his 
claims  before  the  government.  The  Charles  accordingly 
made  sail  for  Coquimbo,  with  all  the  ITereyda's  prisoners 
on  board  except  nine  who  joined  the  Essex ;  and  the  fri- 
gate made  all  sail  in  another  direction. 

The  reader  can  judge  of  the  unprotected  condition  of 
our  commerce  in  the  Pacific  at  that  time,  and  how  little 
respect  the  South  American  provinces  had  for  a  govern- 
ment, that  had  never  before  taken  the  slightest  trouble  to 
look  after  its  great  interests  in  that  quarter.  At  that  time 
we  had,  on  the  coast  of  Peru,  23  whale  ships  worth,  with 
their  cargoes  of  oil,  two  and  a  half  millions  of  dollars,  and 
these  were  at  the  mercy  not  only  of  the  English  armed 
whalers,  but  of  any  of  the  Spanish  provincial  cruisers  that 
chose  to  trouble  them.  Our  government  had  no  standing 
whatever,  until  Capt.  Porter  took  upon  himself  the  duty 
<of  teaching  these  marauders  the  respect  due  to  the  United 
States. 

Captain  Porter  ascertained  that  there  were  at  least 
twenty  British  whale  ships  on  the  coast,  nearly  all  armed; 
and  all  of  not  less  than  400  tons  burden,  and  that  their  car- 
goes in  England  would  not  be  worth  less  than  $4,000,000. 
All  of  which  was  exposed  to  the  Essex  and  her  crew,  who 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  127 

now  began  to  indulge  in  brilliant  anticipations  of  prize 
money;  thinking  that  fortune  had  been  long  enough 
against  them.  The  British  ship  of  war,  Standard,  was  still 
in  the  Pacific,  and  before  making  a  sweep  upon  the 
Galapagos  islands  (where  the  British  whalers  were  wont 
to  congregate),  Porter  determined  to  find  out  whether 
she  was  at  Lima,  for  he  knew  that  letters  had  been  sent 
from  Valparaiso  to  inform  the  Standard  of  his  presence  in 
the  South  sea.  However,  he  hoped  to  get  time  to  com- 
mit great  havoc  on  the  enemy's  commerce  before  the 
news  reached  the  English  74  gun  ship.  Information 
had  been  sent,  from  Buenos  Ayres,  that  the  Essex  was  on 
the  coast  of  Brazil ;  and  that  the  Constitution  had  sunk 
the  British  frigate  Java  and  captured  her  convoy ;  also 
that  the  Wasp  had  captured  a  British  sloop  of  war,  and 
these  gratifying  results  made  Captain  Porter  anxious  to 
be  doing  something  brilliant  himself. 

At  6  A.M.,  on  the  27th,  three  sail  were  made  out,  stand- 
ing in  for  the  harbor  of  Callao,  and  every  effort  was  made 
on  board  the  frigate  to  cut  them  off".  The  head-most  of 
the  three  vessels  seemed  to  be  the  Barclay ;  and,  while  all 
the  Essex's  light  sails  were  wet  down  to  make  them  hold 
the  wind  better,  the  boats  were  prepared  to  send  into  port 
and  bring  the  ship  out  in  case  she  should  escape  past  the 
island  of  San  Lorenzo.  Fortunately  the  Barclay  got  be- 
calmed after  getting  around  the  point  of  the  island,  while 
the  wind  took  the  frigate  to  within  a  hundred  yards  of  her. 
Boats  were  then  lowered  and  the  prize  was  towed  out  with 
some  difficulty.  Captain  Porter  now  hoisted  British 
colors;  and  the  Barclay  was  directed  to  hoist  the  British 
colors  over  the  American,  to  make  it  appear  that  she  was 
a  prize  to  a  British  frigate.  The  numerous  vessels  in  port 
now  hoisted  their  colors,  most  of  them  carried  the  Spanish 
flag ;  but  one  armed  ship  was  English,  though  she  did  not 
answer  to  the  description  of  the  Mmrod.  Of  the  two  other 
vessels,  chased  by  the  Essex,  one  was  a  coasting  brig,  the 
other  a  Spanish  ship  that  had  sailed  from  Valparaiso  before 
the  frigate  ;  but  the  latter  was  now  so  disguised  that  it  was 
unlikely  the  Spaniard  would  recognize  her. 

The  crew  of  the  Essex  were  much  disappointed  at  not 
finding  some  British  vessels  off  Callao,  as  this  place  was 


128         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

one  of  their  points  of  rendezvous.  "We  mention  these 
details,  which  may  seem  tedious  to  the  general  reader,  to 
show  the  movements  of  the  Essex,  and  the  difficulties  and 
disappointments  continually  met  with,  which  were  ex- 
ercising a  very  depressing  effect  upon  the  ship's  company. 

Porter  now  arranged  with  the  captain  of  the  Barclay  to 
keep  company  with  the  Essex ;  as  his  only  chance  of  safety ; 
for  no  port  on  the  coast  would  afford  an  American  vessel 
protection  against  British  cruisers,  especially  since  the 
treatment  of  the  I^ereyda  by  the  Essex.  The  two  ships  ac- 
cordingly shaped  their  course  north  west  for  the  Galapagos 
islands,  keeping  at  a  distance  of  from  100  to  150  miles  from 
the  coast,  spreading  out  in  the  day  time  but  closing  again 
at  night,  and  seeing  nothing  along  the  Peruvian  coast  ex- 
cept a  few  coasters,  and  now  and  then,  a  catamaran,  which 
is  a  rude  vessel  made  of  logs  used  by  the  natives.  These 
catamarans  make  voyages  of  several  hundred  miles ;  and 
this  will  give  an  idea  of  the  fine  weather,  and  smooth  seas 
in  those  latitudes,  which  enable  such  frail  craft  to  make 
such  long  voyages. 

Hearing  from  the  captain  of  a  catamaran,  that  there 
were  no  vessels  in  Payta,  Porter  relinquished  his  purpose 
of  visiting  that  port,  and  bore  away  directly  for  the  Gala- 
pagos islands.  Seven  boats  were  now  specially  prepared 
for  attacking  the  whale  fishers  (many  of  which  were 
heavily  armed),  and  extra  men  assigned  as  musketeers  and 
boarders,  and  signals  were  established,  by  which  to  com- 
municate with  them.  The  boats  carried  seventy  men  and 
were  to  be  under  the  command  of  Lieut.  Downes. 

On  the  morning  of  the  17th,  Chatham  island,  one  of  the 
Galapagos  group,  was  made,  bearing  I:^.  W.  by  IN".,  distant 
thirty-five  miles  ;  and  at  7  p.m.,  the  two  ships  were  abreast 
of  the  anchorage  at  the  north  west  part  of  Hood's  island. 
To  avoid  the  dangerous  currents  and  reefs,  the  ships  ran 
off  the  land  at  night.  The  Galapagos  group  contains 
eleven  good  sized  islands,  and  several  small  ones.  They 
were  a  great  rendezvous  for  whalers,  which  often  came 
there  to  fill  up  with  wood  and  water,  and  to  lay  in  a  supply  of 
the  celebrated  land  tortoise,  weighing  sometimes  from 
three  to  four  hundred  pounds  each.  The  vessels  generally 
took  on  board  several  hundred  of  these  animals,  which 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         129 

have  been  known  to  live  and  thrive  for  months  in  the  hold 
without  food  or  water. 

At  Charles  island,  a  primitive  post  office  was  found,  con- 
sisting of  a  box  nailed  to  a  tree,  and  used  by  the  whalers 
to  deposit  such  information  as  they  might  want  taken 
home  by  vessels  bound  to  Europe  and  America.  The 
contents  of  "  Hathaway's  Post  Office  "  gave  information 
that  in  June  previous  six  ships  (including  the  Mmrod)  with 
nearly  2500  barrels  of  oil  had.  touched  here  on  their  way 
to  Albemarle  island,  the  largest  of  the  group.  One  of 
the  letters  bearing  the  name  of  the  master  of  an  American 
whaler  is  so  curious,  that  we  insert  a  copy,  although  it 
hardly  sustains  the  claim  of  our  countrymen  to  superior 
enlightenment. 

"  Ship  Sukey.  John  Macy  7i  Months  out,  150  barrels,  75  days 
from  Lima.  No  oil  Since  Leaving  that  Port.  Spaniards  Very 
Savage  Lost  on  the  Braziel  Bank  John  Sealin  Apprentice  to  Capt. 
Benjamin  Worth  fell  from  the  fore  topsaill  Yard  In  A  Gale  of  wind 
Left  Diana  Capt.  paddock  14  day  since,  250  Barrels  I  Leave  this 
port  this  Day  with  250  Turpen  8  Boat  Load  Wood  Yesterday  Went 
Up  to  Patts  Landing  East  Side  to  the  Starboard  hand  of  the  Land- 
ing li  miles  Saw  100  Turpen  20  Rods  A  part  Road  Very  Bad. 

"  Yours  Forevir 

"  John  Macy." 

Pat's  Landing,  referred  to  in  the  above  letter,  had 
its  name  from  Patrick  Watkins,  a  wild  Irishman  who  de- 
serted from  an  English  vessel  some  years  before,  and  took 
up  his  abode  in  this  island;  and  as  his  story  is  interesting, 
as  showing  what  sort  of  characters  were  drifting  about  the 
Pacific  sixty  years  ago,  we  here  insert  it  in  the  words  of 
Captain  Porter. 

"  Watkins,  some  years  since,  left  an  English  ship  and 
took  up  his  abode  on  this  island,  built  himself  a  miserable 
hut,  about  a  mile  from  the  landing  (called  after  him),  in  a 
valley  containing  about  two  acres  of  ground  capable  of  cul- 
tivation ;  and,  perhaps,  the  only  spot  on  the  island  which 
affiards  sufficient  moisture  for  the  purpose.  Here  he  suc- 
ceeded in  raising  potatoes  and  pumpkins,  in  considerable 
quantities,  which  he  generally  exchanged  for  rum  or  sold 
for  cash.  The  appearance  of  this  man,  from  the  accounts 
17 


130  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

I  have  received  of  him,  was  the  most  dreadful  than  can  be 
imagined ;  ragged  clothes  scarce  sufficient  to  cover  his 
nakedness,  and  covered  with  vermin ;  his  red  hair  and 
beard  matted,  his  skin  much  burnt,  from  constant  exposure 
to  the  sun,  and  so  wild  and  savage  in  his  manner  and  ap- 
pearance, that  he  struck  every  one  with  horror.  For 
several  years  this  wretched  being  lived  by  himself  on  this 
desolate  spot,  without  any  apparent  desire  than  that  of 
procuring  rum  in  sufficient  quantities  to  keep  himself  in- 
toxicated ;  and,  at  such  times,  after  an  absence  from  his 
hut  of  several  days,  he  would  be  found  in  a  state  of  perfect 
insensibility,  rolling  among  the  rocks  of  the  mountains. 
He  appeared  to  be  reduced  to  the  lowest  grade  of  which 
human  nature  is  capable,  and  seemed  to  have  no  desire 
beyond  the  tortoises  and  other  animals  of  the  island,  except 
that  of  getting  drunk.  But  this  man,  wretched  ^nd  mise- 
rable as  he  may  appear,  was  neither  destitute  of  ambition 
nor  incapable  of  undertaking  an  enterprise  that  would 
have  appalled  the  heart  of  any  other  man ;  nor  was  he 
devoid  of  the  talent  of  rousing  others  to  second  his  hardi- 
hood. 

"  He  by  some  means  became  possessed  of  an  old  musket, 
and  a  few  charges  of  powder  and  ball ;  and  the  possession 
of  this  weapon  first  set  into  action  all  his  ambitious  plans. 
He  felt  himself  strong  as  the  sovereign  of  the  island,  and 
was  desirous  of  proving  his  strength  on  the  first  human 
being  who  fell  in  his  way,  which  happened  to  be  a  negro, 
who  was  left  in  charge  of  a  boat,  belonging  to  an  Ameri- 
rican  ship  that  had  touched  there  for  refreshments.  Patrick 
came  down  to  the  beach  where  the  boat  lay,  armed  with 
his  musket  (now  become  his  constant  companion),  and 
directed  the  negro,  in  an  authoritative  manner,  to  follow 
him,  and  on  his  refusal  snapped  his  musket  at  him  twice, 
which  luckily  missed  fire.  The  negro,  however,  became 
intimidated  and  followed  him.  Patrick  now  shouldered  his 
musket,  marched  ofi:'  before,  and  on  his  way  up  the  mount- 
ains exultingly  informed  the  negro  he  was  henceforth  to 
work  for  him  and  become  his  slave  ;  and  that  his  good  or 
bad  treatment  would  depend  on  his  future  conduct ;  but 
arriving  at  a  narrow  defile  and  perceiving  Patrick  off  his 
guard,  the  negro  seized  the  musket,  grasped  him  in  his 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         131 

arms,  threw  him  down,  tied  his  hands  behind,  shouldered 
him  and  carried  him  to  his  boat,  and  when  the  crew  ar- 
riv^ed  he  was  taken  on  board  the  ship.  An  English  smug- 
gler was  lying  in  the  harbor  at  the  same  time,  the  captain 
of  which  sentenced  Patrick  to  be  severely  whipped  on  board 
both  vessels,  which  was  put  in  execution ;  and  he  was 
afterwards  taken  on  shore,  handcuffed  by  the  Englishmen, 
who  compelled  him  to  make  known  where  he  had  con- 
cealed the  few  dollars  he  had  been  able  to  accumulate  from 
the  sale  of  his  potatoes  and  pumpkins,  which  they  took 
from  him.  But  while  they  were  busy  in  destroying  his 
hut  and  garden,  the  wretched  being  made  his  escape,  and 
concealed  himself  among  the  rocks  in  the  interior  of  the 
island,  until  the  ship  had  sailed,  when  he  returned  from 
his  hiding  place,  and  by  means  of  an  old  file,  which  he 
drove  into  a  tree,  freed  himself  from  the  handcuffs.  He 
now  meditated  a  severe  revenge,  but  concealed  his  inten- 
tions. Vessels  continued  to  touch  there,  and  Patrick  as 
usual,  to  furnish  them  with  vegetables ;  but  from  time  to 
time  he  was  enabled,  by  administering  potent  draughts  of 
his  darling  liquor  to  some  of  the  men  of  their  crews  and 
getting  them  so  drunk  that  they  were  rendered  insensible, 
to  conceal  them  until  the  ship  had  sailed ;  when  finding 
themselves  entirely  dependent  on  him  they  willingly  en- 
listed under  his  banner,  became  his  slaves,  and  he  the 
most  absol  ute  of  tyrants.  By  this  means  he  had  augmented 
the  number  to  five,  including  himself;  and  every  means 
was  used  by  him  to  endeavor  to  procure  arms  for  them, 
but  without  effect.  It  is  supposed  that  his  object  was  to 
have  surprised  some  vessel,  massacred  her  crew  and  taken 
her  off'  While  Patrick  was  meditating  his  plans  two 
ships  (an  American  and  English  vessel),  touched  there,  and 
applied  to  Patrick  for  vegetables.  He  promised  them  the 
greatest  abundance,  provided  they  would  send  their  boats 
to  his  landing,  and  their  people  to  bring  them  from  his 
garden,  informing  them  that  his  rascals  had  become  so  in- 
dolent of  late  that  he  could  not  get  them  to  work.  This 
arrangement  was  agreed  to;  two  boats  were  sent  from 
each  vessel  and  hauled  on  the  beach.  Their  crews  all  went 
to  Patrick's  habitation,  but  neither  he  nor  any  of  his  peo- 
ple were  to  be  found ;  and  after  waiting  until  their  patience 


132  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

was  exhausted,  they  returned  to  the  beach,  where  they 
found  only  the  wreck  of  three  of  their  boats,  which  were 
broken  to  pieces,  and  the  fourth  one  missing.  They  suc- 
ceeded, however,  after  much  difficulty,  in  getting  around  to 
the  bay  opposite  to  their  ships,  where  other  boats  were 
sent  to  their  relief;  and  the  commanders  of  the  ships,  ap- 
prehensive of  some  other  trick,  saw  no  security  except  in 
a  flight  from  the  island,  leaving  Patrick  and  his  gang  in 
quiet  possession  of  the  boat.  But  before  they  sailed  they 
put  a  letter  in  a  keg,  giving  intelligence  of  the  affair,  and 
moored  it  in  the  bay,  where  it  was  found  by  Captain  Ean- 
dall,  but  not  until  he  had  sent  his  boat  to  Patrick's  landing 
for  the  purpose  of  procuring  refreshments ;  and  as  may  be 
easily  supposed,  he  felt  no  little  inquietude  until  her  return, 
when  she  brought  him  a  letter  from  Patrick  to  the  follow- 
ing purport,  which  was  found  in  his  hut. 

JSir :  I  have  made  repeated  application  to  captains  of  vessels 
to  sell  me  a  boat,  or  to  take  me  from  this  place,  but  in  every  in- 
stance met  with  a  refusal.  An  opportunity  presented  to  possess  my- 
self of  one  and  I  took  advantage  of  it.  I  have  been  a  long  time 
endeavoring  by  hard  labor  and  sufferings  to  accumulate  wherewith 
to  make  myself  comfortable  ;  but  at  different  times  have  been  robbed 
and  maltreated,  and  in  a  late  instance  by  Captain  Paddock,  whose 
conduct  in  punishing  me,  and  robbing  me  of  about  five  hundred 
dollars,  in  cash  and  other  articles  neither  agrees  with  the  principles 
he  professes,  nor  is  such  as  his  sleek  coat  would  lead  one  to  expect.  ^ 

On  the  29th  of  May,  1809,  I  sail  from  the  enchanted  island  in 
the  Black  Prince,  bound  to  the  Marquesas.  Do  not  kill  the  old 
hen,  she  is  now  sitting  and  will  soon  have  chickens. 

<  (signed)     Fatherless  Oberlus.' 

"  Patrick  arrived  alone  at  Guayaquil  in  his  open  boat, 
the  rest  who  sailed  with  him  having  perished  for  want  of 
water,  or,  as  is  generally  supposed,  were  put  to  death  by 
him  on  his  finding  the  water  to  grow  scarce.  Prom  thence 
he  proceeded  to  Payta,  where  he  wound  himself  into  the  af- 
fections of  a  tawny  damsel,  and  prevailed  on  her  to  consent 
to  accompany  him  back  to  his  enchanted  island,  the  beauties 
of  which  he  no  doubt  painted  in  glowing  colors ;  but  from  his 


Paddock  was  of  the  Society  of  Friends. 


Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter.         133 

savage  appearance,  he  was  there  considered,  by  the  police, 
as  a  suspicious  person ;  and  being  found  under  the  keel  of 
a  small  vessel  then  ready  to  be  launched,  and  suspected  of 
some  improper  intentions,  he  was  confined  in  Payta  gaol 
where  he  now  remains ;  and  probably  owing  to  this  cir- 
cumstance Charles  island,  as  well  as  the  rest  of  the  Gala- 
pagos, may  remain  unpopulated  for  many  ages  to  come. 

"  This  reflection  may  naturally  lead  us  to  a  consideration 
of  the  question  concerning  the  population  of  the  other 
islands,  scattered  about  the  Pacific  ocean,  respecting  which 
so  many  conjectures  have  been  hazarded.  I  shall  only  ha- 
zard one,  which  is  briefly  this  :  that  former  ages  may  have 
produced  men  equally  as  bold  and  as  daring  as  Pat,  and 
women  as  willing  as  his  fair  one  to  accompany  them  in 
their  adventurous  voyages.  And  when  we  consider  the 
issue  which  might  be  produced  from  a  union  between  a 
red  haired  wild  Irishman,  and  a  copper  colored  mixed 
blood  squaw,  we  need  not  be  any  longer  surprised  at  the 
different  varieties  in  human  nature." 

We  will  not  follow  the  Essex,  in  her  various  movements 
through  these  islands,  nor  give  an  account  of  Porter's 
researches  into  their  natural  history,  nor  his  speculations 
in  regard  to  their  physical  geography.  He  stayed  here 
no  longer  than  was  necessary,  having  matters  more  im- 
portant on  hand  than  the  exploration  of  dreary  regions, 
and  the  catching  of  seal  and  iguanas.  The  boats  under 
Lieut.  Downes  scoured  the  bays  and  inlets  of  the  group, 
in  every  direction,  for  vessels,  but  returned  unsuccessful ; 
and  the  examination  was  then  pursued  in  the  Essex  under 
sail. 

As  in  the  early  part  of  this  century  everything  relating 
to  what  was  a  comparatively  unkoown  ocean,  was  interest- 
ing. Captain  Porter  published  in  his  journal  a  minute 
account  of  the  Galapagos  islands ;  and  these  are,  probably, 
the  best  sailing  directions  extant,  even  at  the  present  day. 

As  the  Essex  had  been  for  nearly  a  fortnight  among  the 
islands,  and  had  searched  them  thoroughly  without  success, 
it  was  supposed  that  the  whalemen  had  abandoned  the 
location,  when  at  daylight  on  the  29th  of  April  1813,  after 
passing  a  restless  night,  Capt.  Porter  was  rejoiced  to  hear 
the  cry   <' Sail   ho!"  echo  through  the   ship;  and   in   a 


134  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

moment  all  hands  rushed  on  deck.  A  large  ship  was  seen 
bearing  west,  and  chase  was  at  once  given.  In  about  an 
hour  two  others  were  discovered,  bearing  S.  W".  The 
captain  felt  sure  they  were  British  whalers,  and,  as  it  was 
certain  to  fall  calm  at  mid  day,  that  all  of  them  would  be 
captured.  B}^  nine  o'clock  the  Essex,  under  British 
colors,  spoke  the  first  ship,  which  proved  to  be  the  Mon- 
tezuma, Capt.  Baxter,  with  1400  barrels  of  sperm  oil. 
Baxter  was  invited  on  board,  and  while  in  the  cabin  giving 
such  information  as  he  considered  valuable  to  enable  the 
supposed  British  captain  to  capture  American  whalers, 
his  crew  were  being  transferred  to  the  frigate,  a  prize  crew 
put  on  board  the  whaler,  and  the  Essex  continued  her 
pursuit  of  the  other  vessels  which  were  now  trying  to 
make  their  escape.  Before  noon  it  fell  calm,  and  the 
Essex  was  about  8  miles  distant  from  the  strangers.  Fear- 
ing they  might  escape,  the  boats  were  manned,  and  sent 
oiF  in  two  divisions  under  Lieuts.  Downes  and  Wilmer. 
At  two  o'clock,  the  Americans  neared  the  enemy,  when 
the  latter  hoisted  English  colors  and  fired  several  guns. 
The  boats  now  pulled  for  the  largest  ship,  which  kept  her 
guns  trained  on  them  as  they  approached,  and  Lieut. 
Downes  gave  the  signal  to  board  ;  but  on  a  demand  for 
surrender,  the  Englishman  hauled  down  his  flag,  his  con- 
sort following  his  example.  A  breeze  springing  up,  the 
prizes  bore  down  for  the  Essex,  which  welcomed  the  re- 
turn of  the  successful  party  with  three  hearty  cheers. 

The  prizes  proved  to  be  the  Georgianna  and  Policy, 
each  of  about  280  tons  burden,  and  with  their  cargoes  were 
valued  in  England  at  half  a  million  of  dollars.  The  ease 
with  which  the  vessels  were  taken,  gave  our  sailors  rather 
a  poor  opinion  of  British  valor,  which  was  certainly  an 
unfair  view  of  the  case.  They  would  no  doubt  have  re- 
pulsed any  number  of  savages,  but  were  not  disciplined  up 
to  the  point  requisite  for  driving  off  a  ship  of  war's  boats. 
The  possession  of  their  prizes  made  the  ofiicers  and  crew 
of  the  Essex  forget,  in  a  moment,  their  hardships  and  dis- 
appointments. This  was  the  first  time,  for  nearly  &ve 
months,  that  they  had  taken  a  prize,  and  they  began  to 
fear  that  fortune  h^d  deserted  them. 

As  some  murmuringshad,  on  one  or  two  occasions,  been 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         135 

heard,  from  certain  of  the  crew,  Captain  Porter,  with  a 
view  to  prevent  such  demonstrations,  took  this  opportunity 
to  issue  the  following : 

Sailors  and  Marines :  Fortune  has  at  length  smiled  on  us,  be- 
cause we  deserved  her  smiles ;  and  the  first  time  she  enabled  us 
to  display  free  trade  and  sailors'  rights  assisted  by  your  good  conduct, 
she  put  in  our  possession  near  half  a  million  of  the  enemy's  property. 

Continue  to  be  zealous,  enterprising  and  patient,  and  we  will  yet 
render  the  name  of  the  Essex  as  terrible  to  the  enemy  as  that  of  any 
other  vessel,  before  we  return  to  the  United  States.  My  plans  shall 
be  made  known  to  you  at  a  future  time. 

April  30,  1813.  D.  Porter. 

There  is  no  method  better  calculated  to  win  the  confi- 
dence and  attachment  of  a  crew,  than  for  a  commander  to 
hold  this  sort  of  intercourse  with  them ;  and  it  may  be 
safely  said,  that  no  one  will  ever  be  eminently  successful 
who  does  not  possess  the  confidence  of  those  under  his 
control.  Porter's  little  manifesto  pleased  the  sailors  very 
much,  and  they  were  disposed  to  be  in  excellent,  humor 
when  they  calculated  the  probable  amount  of  their  prize 
money. 

All  the  wants  of  the  Essex,  except  that  of  water,  were 
now  relieved ;  for,  from  the  stores  of  the  captured  ships, 
there  was  obtained  an  abundant  supply  of  all  the  articles 
required  in  a  vessel's  outfit,  and  a  large  quantity  of  pro- 
visions such  as  whalemen  always  carry.  The  tortoises, 
with  which  the  prizes  were  abundantly  supplied,  were 
very  beneficial  in  checking  the  scurvy,  which  had  begun 
to  show  itself  among  the  frigate's  crew.  Disgusting  as 
is  the  appearance  of  these  huge  creatures,  no  animal 
affords  a  more  delicate  and  wholesome  food.  However 
annoying  it  may  have  been  to  the  unfortunate  Britons,  to 
see  their  delicious  turtle  melting  away  before  the  insatiate 
Yankees,  they  had  at  least  the  consolation  of  sharing  with 
the  others,  for  Porter  treated  his  prisoners  just  the  same 
as  he  did  his  crew,  so  long  as  they  merited  such  indul- 
gence. He  considered  this  as  a  matter  of  duty,  and 
though  some  of  the  people  whom  he  treated  thus  kindly 
were  ungrateful  enough  to  spread  false  reports  on  the  sub- 


136  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

ject,  he  always  had  proof  sufficient  to  rebut  their  asser- 
tions, whenever  he  desired  to  do  so.  A  few  days  after 
capturing  the  whalers,  fifty  large  turtle  were  picked  up 
and  brought,  on  board.  They  had  floated  about  in  the 
same  place  where  they  had  been  thrown  overboard  to 
clear  the  ships  for  action,  incapable  of  any  exertion. 

Midshipman  Odenheimer  was  placed  in  command  of  the 
Montezuma,  and  Midshipman  Cowan  of  the  Policy ;  they 
were  furnished  with  a  set  of  signals,  and  in  case  of  separa- 
tion the  Island  of  La  Plata,  and  Bay  of  Tumbez  were 
appointed  as  places  of  rendezvous. 

The  Georgianna  was  a  noble  vessel,  sailed  well,  and 
having  been  built  for  the  East  India  Company's  service, 
was  well  calculated  for  a  cruiser.  She  was  accordingly 
mounted  with  sixteen  guns,  and  a  number  of  swivels ;  and 
furnished  with  all  the  small  arms  and  cutlasses  found  on 
board  the  other  prizes,  so  that  she  was  a  match  for  any 
British  letter-of-marque  to  be  found  in  those  waters. 

Some  of  the  seamen  captured  in  the  prizes,  volunteered 
their  services — a  portion  of  them  were  Americans;  but 
the  native  born  Britons  were  not  in  the  least  abashed  at 
offering  to  fight  against  their  flag,  for  at  that  time  Eng- 
land gave  no  protection  to  her  seamen,  who  were  liable  to 
impressment  at  any  time,  and  made  to  serve  on  small  pay 
against  their  will. 

The  command  of  the  Georgianna  was  now  given  to 
Lieut.  Downes,  with  a  crew  of  forty-one  men,  including 
six  volunteers.  The  remainder  of  the  captured  men  were 
kept  on  board  the  Essex.  "  The  sloop  of  war,"  as  she 
was  now  styled,  was  an  important  addition  to  the  fighting 
force  under  Porter's  command ;  and  in  case  of  accident  to 
the  frigate,  they  could  look  for  relief  while  the  Georgianna 
remained  seaworthy.  On  the  8th  of  May,  the  Georgianna 
hoisted  the  American  flag  and  saluted  the  Essex  with 
seventeen  guns,  which  were  returned  with  three  cheers. 

Porter's  whole  attention  was  now  devoted  to  getting 
back  to  the  Galapagos,  expecting,  from  information  he  had 
received,  to  meet  several  British  whalers  there  with  nearly 
full  cargoes.  The  stock  of  wood  and  water,  on  board  the 
Essex  and  her  prizes,  was  rapidly  diminishing,  and  it  was 
necessary  to  get  into  port  as  soon  as  possible.     The  calm 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  137 

weather  was  made  the  most  of  in  overhauling  and  setting 
up  the  Essex's  rigging,  and  painting  the  vessel  inside  and 
out,  so  that  all  the  time  in  port  might  be  devoted  to  get- 
ting in  wood  and  water. 

Capt.  Porter  was  very  particular  in  keeping  a  strict  ac- 
count of  all  captured  stores,  provisions,  money,  &c.,  used 
in  the  service  of  the  United  States,  with  their  value  as  ap- 
praised by  a  board  of  officers  appointed  for  the  purpose. 
Many  articles  were  appraised  far  below  their  value,  but  this 
action  enabled  the  survivors  of  the  Essex,  when  they 
reached  the  United  States,  to  receive  what  was  due  them 
on  account  of  articles  used  by  the  government.  Such  a 
course  should  always  be  followed  by  commanding  officers, 
to  guard  the  interests  of  their  officers  and  men ;  but  it  fre- 
quently happens,  that  for  want  of  such  forethought,  large 
amounts  of  captured  property  are  used  in  the  public  service 
without  the  captors  receiving  one  cent  in  return. 

The  Essex  had  now  been  at  sea  upwards  of  six  months, 
and  since  leaving  the  United  States,  had  not  drawn  on  the 
government  for  a  dollar,  having  depended  on  the  amount 
furnished  the  purser  when  the  ship  sailed,  to  pay  for  the 
outfit  in  Valparaiso.  The  $50,000,  captured  in  the  N'octon, 
had  given  the  sailors  plenty  of  cash ;  and  now  the  frigate 
was  once  more  filled  with  provisions  and  stores  at  the 
enemy's  expense.  Better  than  all,  the  government  was 
provided  with  a  new  cruiser,  of  whose  existence  it  was  not 
aware,  and  whose  equipment  had  not  drawn  a  cent  from 
the  public  exchequer.  Half  a  million  dollars  worth  of 
property  had  been  captured,  and  a  smart  brig  of  war  (the 
I^octon),  had  been  sent  in  to  add  to  our  naval  force ;  and 
the  colonial  governments  had  been  taught  to  respect  our 
flag,  by  the  summary  treatment  of  the  Peruvian  privateer 
Fereyda. 

The  Essex  had  now  commenced  in  earnest  her  career 
of  destruction  to  British  commerce. 


18 


138  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Ported. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Jj  IKDII^G  that  owing  to .  strong  IS".  W.  currents  the 
ships  were  making  little  progress,  Capt.  Porter  took  the 
Montezuma  (the  dullest  sailor  among  the  prizes)  in  tow, 
but  found  that  even  then  the  Essex  could  beat  the  fastest 
of  the  other  vessels  with  all  their  canvass  spread.  The 
breechings  of  the  frigate's  guns  were  now  discovered  to  be 
rotten,  a  circumstance  which  caused  great  uneasiness,  for 
a  time,  until  they  managed  to  find  the  proper  rope  on  board 
the  prizes  to  make  the  necessary  repairs. 

On  the  12th,  an  island  was  discovered  ahead,  but  as 
some  doubt  existed  whether  or  not  it  was  James  island, 
Lieut.  Downes  was  directed  to  proceed  in  the  Georgianna  to 
search  the  island,  while  the  frigate  proceeded  to  the  con- 
tinent for  water.  Rendezvous  were  appointed,  and  Downes 
was  directed,  after  disposing  of  the  Georgianna's  cargo  in 
Valparaiso,  to  continue  making  short  cruises  in  that 
neighborhood  until  Porter's  arrival  there.  The  vessels 
then  separated,  and  the  Essex  and  her  prizes  proceeded, 
with  the  Barclay,  to  Charles  island,  and  came  to  anchor 
on  the  12th  of  May,  1813. 

The  "  post  office  "  contained  no  letters,  but  there  were 
evidences  of  its  having  been  visited  since  the  Essex  was 
last  in  port.  Porter  now  regretted  the  absence  of  the 
Georgianna  as  she  could  have  proceeded  in  search  of  the 
vessel  which  it  was  supposed  had  gone  to  Albemarle 
island,  the  general  rendezvous  of  British  whalers.  With 
great  difficulty,  a  small  supply  of  wood  and  water  was  laid 
in  ;  and  while  on  this  duty  the  Georgianna  hove  in  sight, 
and  thus,  owing  to  the  intricate  currents  and  imperfect 
charts,  these  vessels  were  brought  together  after  separating 
to  go  in  quite  different  directions.  The  Georgianna  was  im- 
mediately dispatched  in  pursuit  of  the  strange  vessel  that 
had  touched  at  Charles  island  ;  and  Lieut.  Downes  was  in- 
structed, on  his  return,  to  look  at  the  foot  of  the  stake. 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         139 

where  the  post  office  box  was  nailed,  for  a  bottle  containing 
a  letter  of  instructions. 

Mr.  Adams,  the  chaplain,  was  now  dispatched,  at  his 
own  request,  with  a  couple  of  boats,  to  make  a  careful 
examination  and  survey  of  the  large  island ;  which  duty- 
he  accomplished  in  a  highly  satisfactory  manner,  and  re- 
turned to  the  ship  on  the  20th.  Mr.  Adams  had  deter- 
mined the  latitude  and  longitude  of  the  principal  points, 
but  had  found  no  landing  place  where  wood  and  water 
could  be  procured.  Immense  land  tortoises  and  green 
turtle  were  found  in  large  numbers.  One  tortoise  mea- 
sured five  feet  and  a  half  long,  by  four  feet  and  one  half 
wide,  and  three  feet  thick.  Mr.  Adams  reported,  that  on 
the  night  of  his  return  from  the  survey  of  Porter's  island, 
he  had  passed  within  gunshot  of  a  supposed  English  vessel 
bound  towards  Albemarle ;  in  consequence  of  which, 
Porter  determined  to  run  down  to  Banks's  bay  in  hopes  of 
falling  in  with  a  prize,  and  getting  from  her  a  supply  of 
water,  which  was  greatly  needed.  Before  getting  under 
way  a  note  was  left  for  Lieut.  Downes,  giving  him  the  latest 
information  of  their  movements  and  proposed  route. 

The  existence  of  our  sailors  in  the  Q-alapagos  islands  was 
on  the  whole  a  most  happy  one,  the  climate  was  pleasant, 
and  although  the  labor  of  getting  the  tortoises  (which 
were  often  dragged  for  several  miles  through  briers  and 
over  rocks),  and  stowing  them  away  on  shipboard  for  future 
use  was  very  great,  yet  the  men  did  not  mind  it  —  so  pleased 
were  they  with  the  novelty  of  their  existence ;  and  their 
abundant  supply  of  the  most  delicious  food  in  the  world, 
that  all  their  past  hardships  were  forgotten.  Besides  the 
tortoises,  the  iguana,  a  huge,  repulsive  looking  lizard, 
much  prized  by  epicures,  abounded  in  the  island,  and 
myraids  of  excellent  fish  of  the  black,  red  and  yellow 
species  of  sheepshead,  swarmed  around  the  boats,  and 
were  captured  with  the  greatest  ease.  Aquatic  birds 
(shags,  penguins,  pelicans  and  others),  frequented  the  island 
in  great  numbers,  and  were  an  acceptable  variety  to  the 
sailors  who  are  not  often  particular  about  their  eating. 
Many  a  savory  mess  of  "  Galapagos  mutton,"  as  the  jolly 
mariners  called  the  tortoise  flesh,  was  cooked  on  the  hill- 
sides or  on  the  beach,  in  extemporized  fire  places.     I^ot- 


140  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

withstanding  the  quantity  of  this  food  devoured,  the  men 
never  became  satiated  with  it,  for  they  generally  were  pro- 
vided with  the  sauce  of  hunger,  which  as  an  appetizer  far 
excels  the  famous  Worcestershire. 

While  at  Charles  island,  the  prizes  and  Barclay  were 
thoroughly  overhauled  and  painted,  so  as  to  change  their 
appearance  as  much  as  possible.  The  appearance  of  the 
Essex  had  been  so  frequently  changed,  that  the  Captain 
felt  no  apprehensions  of  her  being  recognized.  The  pri- 
soners were  allowed  full  liberty  on  shore,  as  some  of  them 
had  contracted  the  scurvy,  and  for  this  indulgence  they 
were  very  grateful.  We  merely  mention  this  circumstance 
to  show  that  Porter  did  not  treat  his  prisoners  with  severity 
as  was  asserted  in  the  English  papers. 

On  the  21st  of  May,  the  Essex  and  her  prizes  got  under- 
way and  stood  to  the  S.  W.  About  this  time  Dr.  Robert 
Miller,  the  surgeon  of  the  Essex,  died  of  consumption, 
from  which  he  had  been  suffering  ever  since  leaving  the 
United  States.  He  had  gone  on  board  the  Policy  some 
time  before,  in  order  to  be  more  quiet  and  comfortable 
than  he  could  be  in  the  frigate.  On  the  26th  the  body  of 
the  surgeon  was  committed  to  the  deep,  after  funeral  ser- 
vice by  the  chaplain ;  and  Dr.  Hoffman  was  appointed  act- 
ing surgeon.  Great  care  was  now  taken  that  no  prizes 
should  escape,  the  vessels  were  spread  out,  covering  a 
space  of  twenty-five  miles ;  they  were  approaching  Albe- 
marle, where  English  vessels  were  confidently  expected. 

On  the  28th,  as  the  Essex  and  her  consorts  were  stand- 
ing to  the  northward,  a  sail  was  discovered  right  ahead. 
Chase  was  immediately  given,  and  at  sunset  the  stranger 
was  in  plain  sight  from  the  frigate's  deck ;  but  little  hope 
was  felt  of  coming  up  with  her,  as  it  was  feared  she  would 
alter  her  course  in  the  darkness.  However,  Porter  crowded 
on  all  sail  and  took  every  possible  precaution  to  secure  the 
prize,  directing  the  different  vessels  to  steer  separate 
courses,  so  as  to  keep  the  stranger  in  sight  next  morning. 
At  daylight,  a  sail  was  seen  to  the  northward ;  but  the 
wind  beginning  to  die  away.  Captain  Porter  directed  Lieut. 
Wilmer  to  proceed  with  three  of  the  fastest  of  the  frigate's 
boats  to  the  Montezuma,  to  be  joined  by  three  more  from 
that  ship,  and  to  take  station  before  night,  astern  of  the 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         141 

chase,  so  that  communication  could  be  held  with  the  Essex 
through  the  Motezuma  by  signal.  By  this  arrangement  it 
would  be  possible  to  be  guided  by  flashes,  and  prevent  the 
enemy  from  escaping  during  the  darkness  of  the  night. 
Lieut.  Wilmer  was  ordered  not  to  attack  with  the  boats, 
until  it  should  fall  calm,  and  then  to  row  with  muffled  oars 
and  suprise  the  stranger  by  boarding,  and  to  prevent  any 
other  attack  no  other  arms  than  cutlasses,  and  boarding 
axes  were  given  the  men.  Great  was  now  the  excite- 
ment on  board  the  Essex,  for  here  was  a  vessel  sup- 
posed to  be  worth,  with  her  cargo,  at  least  one  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  dollars,  a  good  sum  to  be  divided 
among  the  officers  and  crew. 

Twenty-six  hours  had  now  passed  away  since  the  com- 
mencement of  the  chase.  A  short  time  after  the  boats  left 
the  ship  a  breeze  sprung  up,  and  the  Essex  signalling  to 
the  Montezuma  to  pick  up  the  boats,  crowded  on  all  sail 
and  soon  came  near  enough  to  make  the  stranger  out.  The 
latter,  seeing  that  her  attempts  to  escape  were  hopeless, 
hove  about  and  stood  for  the  frigate.  From  the  warlike 
appearance  of  the  stranger,  who  carried  a  British  ensign 
and  pendant  at  the  main,  it  was  supposed  that  she  might  be 
a  sloop  of  war,  for  which  reason  the  Essex  went  to  quarters 
and  prepared  to  receive  the  enemy  as  well  as  her  weak 
condition  would  allow,  so  many  men  being  absent  in  prizes 
and  boats,  and  the  only  officers  on  board  besides  the  cap- 
tain, were  the  chaplain,  clerk  and  boatswain.  On  getting 
alongside  the  English  ship,  British  colors  were  hoisted  on 
board  the  Essex ;  the  stranger  was  hailed  and  directed  to 
repair  on  board,  which  order  was  no  sooner  complied  with 
than  another  sail  was  reported  from  the  mast  head. 

The  prize  was  the  letter-of-marque,  Atlantic,  Capt.  Weir, 
mounting  six  18  pounder  guns,  and  employed  in  whaling. 
Lieut.  McKnight  was  sent  on  board  from  the  Montezuma, 
with  a  good  crew,  and  ordered  to  pursue  the  new  sail  to 
the  north  and  west,  while  the  Essex  steered  northerly  to 
cut  her  off.  The  Atlantic  soon  showed  that  her  reputation 
of  being  a  very  fast  sailor  was  not  undeserved,  for  the  Es- 
sex had  very  little  advantage  of  her  with  all  the  sail  she 
could  carry,  although  the  Atlantic  had  no  studding  sails  set. 
In  the  darkness  which  soon  came  on,  the  prize  was  lost 


142  Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter. 

sight  of  but  soon  discovered  by  some  of  the  watchful  eyes 
on  board  the  Essex,  and  finally  overhauled  and  brought  to 
by  a  shot  from  the  frigate.  The  commander  was  now  di- 
rected to  repair  on  board,  but  not  immediately  obeying  the 
order,  it  was  perceived  that  the  strange  ship  was  prepared 
for  action,  and  that  her  crew  were  at  quarters.  A  shot 
was  fired  between  her  masts  to  intimidate  the  captain,  and 
he  was  threatened  with  a  broadside,  which  admonition  had 
the  desired  efifect,  and  he  went  on  board  the  frigate  directly. 

The  prize  proved  to  be  the  whaleship  letier~of-marque 
Greenwich,  a  prime  sailer.  Thus,  while  the  British  were 
abusing  Captain  Porter  for  "  breaking  up  the  British 
whalefishery  by  his  piracies,"  they  prudently  said  nothing 
about  having  granted  letters-of-marque  to  these  peaceful 
traders,  with  authority  to  capture  the  unsuspecting  Ame- 
rican merchant  vessels.  This  was  the  more  inexcusable, 
as  England  had  at  the  time  nearly  a  thousand  public 
armed  vessels  in  opposition  to  the  mere  handful  we  had 
fitted  out,  to  resist  the  many  indignities  that  the  British 
had  heaped  upon  us.  The  fact  is  the  world  was  not  large 
enough  for  the  English,  and  they  were  determined  not  to 
tolerate  their  Yankee  competitors,  and  to  use  every  avail- 
able means  to  destroy  their  commerce,  no  matter  how 
unjustifiable. 

The  captain  of  the  Greenwich,  who  was  well  fortified 
with  Dutch  courage,  expressed  great  regret  that  his  ship 
and  the  Atlantic  had  not  joined  company,  as  he  was  sure 
they  were  more  than  a  match  for  the  frigate  ;  and  it  is  pro- 
bable, in  the  weakened  condition  of  the  Essex,  deprived 
of  so  many  of  her  crew,  that  both  ships  together  might 
have  given  trouble,  and  perhaps  have  escaped. 

The  captain  of  the  Atlantic  (an  American  frona  Nan- 
tucket where  his  family  were  living),  expressed  great  plea- 
sure at  finding  (as  he  supposed)  a  British  frigate  in  those 
seas.  He  informed  Capt.  Porter,  that  he  had  sailed  from 
England  under  convoy  of  the  frigate  Java,  and  had  put 
into  Porto  Praya  a  short  time  before  the  Essex  left  there ; 
that  the  Java  had  sailed  in  pursuit  of  the  American  whom 
it  was  generally  believed  had  gone  round  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope.  On  his  arrival  at  Concepcion,  he  heard  that  the 
Java  had  been  sunk  by  the  U.  S.  frigate  Constitution. 


Memoik  of  ComModoke  David  Pokter.         143 

The  renegade  informed  Porter  that  he  had  left  nine 
American  whalers  at  Concepcion;  that  others  were  daily 
arriving,  and  that  if  he  would  go  there  he  could  capture 
the  whole  of  them.  On  being  asked  how  he  could  recon- 
cile it  to  his  conscience  to  sail  under  the  British  flag,  to 
destroy  American  commerce,  he  answered  that  he  found 
no  difficulty  in  so  doing,  as  though  born  in  America,  he 
was  an  Englishman  at  heart.  This  fellow,  in  spite  of  his 
corrupt  heart,  was  of  gentlemanly  address;  like  all  rene- 
gades, he  was  anxious  to  do  his  country  as  much  harm  as 
possible,  by  way  of  ingratiating  himself  with  his  new 
friends.  He  was  soon  undeceived,  with  regard  to  the  Essex 
being  an  English  frigate,  and  his  feelings  may  be  imagined. 

Porter  sympathized  greatly  with  the  unfortunate  com- 
manders of  the  Montezuma  and  Greenwich  ;  and  to  make 
the  evils  of  war  bear  as  lightly  as  possible  on  them,  he 
purchased  from  them  for  the  use  of  the  crew  all  their  pri- 
vate adventure.  By  custom  these  would  be  considered 
prize  of  war,  but  Porter  wished  ever  to  err  on  the  side  of 
humanity ;  he  could  not,  however,  conceal  his  indignation 
against  the  renegade  American,  although  he  felt  bound  to 
give  him  the  same  indulgence  he  extended  to  the  other 
prisoners.  N^otwithstanding  the  assurances  of  Capt.  Por- 
ter, that  they  should  receive  as  generous  treatment  as  cir- 
cumstances would  permit,  both  the  commander  of  the 
Atlantic  and  of  the  Greenwich,  used  the  most  abusive 
language  towards  the  United  States  government,  the  ship 
and  its  officers,  lavishing  on  the  captain  in  particular  as 
soon  as  his  back  was  turned,  the  most  scurrilous  epithets, 
quite  equal  to  anything  that  ever  appeared  in  the  Quarterly 
Review.  The  next  day.  Captain  Porter  determined  to 
make  these  men  sensible  of  the  impropriety  of  their  con- 
duct, and  did  so  without  violating  either  the  principles  of 
humanity  or  the  rules  of  war,  with  the  result  that  both 
were  so  humbled  by  the  sense  of  their  conduct,  as  to  make 
the  most  abject  apologies. 

On  board  the  Atlantic  was  found  a  hundred  tons  of 
water,  of  which  article  both  the  Essex  and  her  former 
prizes  were  very  short.  By  this  last  capture  had  also  been 
obtained  an  abundant  supply  of  provisions,  and  naval  stores, 
and  seamen's  clothing  of  excellent  quality.    As  these  vessels 


144  Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter. 

were  only  a  few  days  from  James  island,  they  had  a  stock 
of  800  tortoises  of  large  size,  sufficient  for  a  month's  fresh 
provisions  for  all  the  ships. 

Lieut.  McKnight  was  placed  in  command  of  the  Atlantic 
and  Lieut.  Gamble  of  the  marines  (for  want  of  sea  officers), 
in  command  of  the  G-reenwich.  To  make  up  for  his  want 
of  nautical  knowledge,  two  experienced  seamen  were 
placed  with  Lieut.  Gamble  as  mates.  Volunteers  con- 
tinued to  offer  their  services  from  the  captured  ships,  and 
as  they  generally  claimed  to  he  Americans  !  were  accepted. 

The  whole  effective  force  now  at  the  disposal  of  Captain 
Porter  was  as  follows :  Essex,  46  guns,  245  men  ;  Georgi- 
anna,  16  guns,  42  men  ;  Atlantic,  6  guns,  12  men  ;  Green- 
wich, 10  guns,  14  men ;  Montezuma,  2  guns,  10  men ; 
Policy,  10  men ;  Total,  80  guns,  333  men ;  together  with 
a  midshipman  and  six  men  on  board  the  Barclay.  The 
prisoners  amounted  to  80  ;  but  as  they  had  been  distributed 
among  the  different  ships,  allowing  them  full  rations,  on 
condition  of  their  assisting  to  work,  they  were  found  to  be 
nearly  as  useful  as  the  Essex's  men,  in  navigatingthe  prizes. 
Including  prisoners  the  whole  number  of  effective  men 
amounted  to  420. 

The  increased  supply  of  water,  caused  Captain  Porter 
to  change  his  intentions  of  proceeding  to  the  continent. 
The  prizes  were  such  good  sailers,  that  he  hoped  by  their 
taking  the  Barclay  and  Policy  in  tow,  while  the  Essex  took 
care  of  the  Montezuma,  to  be  able  to  get  to  the  windward 
of  the  islands,  so  as  to  fall  into  the  track  of  vessels  hound 
from  the  continent,  or  to  reach  Charles  island ;  and  if  the 
Georgianna  was  not  there,  leave  instructions  for  her  in  the 
secret  post  office.  This  idea  was  at  once  acted  upon  and 
every  effort  was  made  to  get  windward  of  Albemarle ;  but 
without  success,  owing  to  the  strong  current,  and  nothing 
was  left  but  to  try  and  get  around  to  the  northward  of  the 
island.  The  next  three  days  being  calm,  the  opportunity 
was  taken  to  get  an  anchor  and  cable  and  4,000  gallons  of 
water  from  the  prizes,  '^o  sea  going  vessel  could  be  better 
off  than  the  Essex,  for  she  was  followed  about  by  store- 
ships  to  supply  all  her  wants. 

The  Greenwich  proved  to  have  been  the  vessel  seen  by 
Chaplain  Adams  while  surveying,  and  the  Atlantic  was 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  145 

the  ship  that  had  visited  Charles  island  and  taken  away 
the  bread  and  water  left  there  by  the  Essex.  This  the 
captain  did  to  prevent  his  men  from  deserting,  which  he 
feared  they  would  do  if  they  had  any  prospect  of  a  tem- 
porary supply  of  food.  This  statement  induced  reflections 
in  Captain  Porter's  mind,  in  regard  to  the  tendency  of 
British  sailors  to  desert,  a  propensity  carried  with  them 
even  into  merchant  vessels,  and  to  gratify  which  they 
often  ran  great  risk  of  starvation.  Even  in  the  Galapagos 
islands,  where  food  was  abundant,  water  was  so  scarce,  as 
oftentimes  to  be  found  only  in  the  stomach  of  the  land 
tortoise,  and  yet  there  were  many  desertions.  This  could 
only  be  attributed  to  the  tyrannical  system  (by  which  the 
British  navj  was  at  that  time  governed),  having  crept  into 
the  merchant  service,  whose  commanders  aped  the  severe 
discipline  which  made  the  navy  so  unpopular  with  sailors. 
There  must  have  been  a  difference  between  the  treatment 
of  sailors  in  the  British  and  American  ^vessels,  for 
while  the  Essex  remained  at  Charles  island,  one-fourth  of 
her  crew  and  all  the  prisoners  who  chose  to  go,  were  on 
liberty  ashore  every  day.  No  one  ever  attempted  to  desert 
although  they  had  ample  opportunity  to  do  so.  When 
the  gun  was  fired  every  man  immediately  repaired  to  the 
beach. 

On  the  night  of  the  6th  of  June,  the  crew  of  the  Essex 
were  treated  to  a  magnificent  sight,  by  the  bursting  forth 
of  a  volcano  on  Albemarle  island,  which  illuminated  the 
whole  horizon,  and  gave  another  proof  of  the  fitness  of 
the  name,  Enchanted  islands,  given  to  the  group,  by  the 
Spaniards.  There  certainly  was  enough  peculiarity,  to 
give  to  superstitious  mariners  the  idea  of  witchcraft ;  the 
numerous  currents  seemedto  obey  no  laws,  and  the  difficulty 
of  a  vessel  getting  away  from  them  was  often  very  great. 
An  examination  of  a  chart  in  1875  will,  perhaps,  explain 
what  was  considered  a  difficult  problem  sixty  years  ago. 

On  the  8th  of  June,  a  fresh  breeze  sprung  up  and  car- 
ried the  Essex  and  her  prizes  northward  of  Abington,  the 
northernmost  island  of  the  group,  except  two  small  ones 
lying  about  80  miles  to  the  N.  W.,  and  in  no  way  affect- 
ing the  currents. 

19 


146  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

Although  the  whaling  business  is  now  but  a  shadow  of 
its  former  greatness,  owing  to  the  substitution  of  gas  and 
vegetable  oils  for  illuminating  purposes,  there  are  yet 
many  vessels,  principally  English,  which  follow  the  pursuit 
for  spermaceti  oil,  which  will  perhaps  always  be  in  demand 
for  certain  purposes.  "Whales  will  always  be  found,  unless 
extirpated,  among  the  Galapagos  islands;  and  here  the 
whaleman  will  resort,  as  of  yore,  in  pursuit  of  them. 
Porter's  directions  for  persons  engaged  in  whaling  are 
highly  instructive,  and  will  be  no  less  so  to  those  who  in 
time  of  war  may  go  in  pursuit  of  them.  Captain  Porter 
never  took  hold  of  any  subject  with  which  he  did  not 
make  himself  as  familiar  as  possible  ;  whatever  he  engaged 
in,  engrossed,  for  the  time,  his  whole  mind,  and  this  was 
now  the  case  with  regard  to  the  whale  fisheries,  which 
yielded  himself  and  government  so  much  profit;  and  the 
loss  of  which  was  creating  so  much  distress  to  a  large 
number  of  our  enemies.  Porter  would  no  doubt  have  been 
as  successful  in  catching  whales  as  he  was  in  catching 
whalers,  had  he  taken  up  the  former  exciting  business. 

To  show  the  importance  that  England  attached  to  the 
whale  fishing  in  the  Pacific,  even  at  a  comparatively  early 
day,  we  will  refer  to  Lieut.  Colnet  of  the  royal  navy,  who 
was  sent  in  command  of  the  ship  Rattler,  for  the  purpose 
of  discovering  ports  in  which  the  South  sea  whale  fishermen 
could  refresh  and  refit  their  ships ;  for,  to  use  the  language 
of  a  memorial  from  the  merchants  of  London  to  the  Board 
of  Trade,  "  the  situation  of  ships  employed  in  the  whale 
fishery  is  calamitous  from  the  scurvy  and  other  diseases  in- 
cident to  those  who  are  obliged  for  any  length  of  time  to 
keep  the  sea,  without  that  refreshment  which  is  aftbrded  by 
intermediate  harbors."  The  Spaniards  about  that  time  had 
admitted  British  vessels  into  their  ports,  for  the  purpose 
of  refitting  and  refreshing;  but  the  privilege  was  granted 
under  so  many  restrictions,  as  almost  to  amount  to  a 
prohibition,  as  was  probably  intended  it  should.  Colnet 
sailed  from  England  on  the  4th  of  January,  1793,  and  was 
absent  nearly  two  years,  visiting  the  Pacific  coast  of 
America  as  far  as  the  gulf  of  California,  and  numerous 
islands,  including  the  Galapagos.  It  does  not  appear  that 
Colnet  made  any  discoveries,  or  accomplished  the  object 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  147 

for  which  he  was  sent,  and  it  being  necessary  to  stimulate 
seamen  to  embark  in  an  enterprise  of  such  importance  as 
the  whale  fishery,  the  British  parliament  passed  an  act 
June  3,  1795,  granting  heavy  premiums  to  the  ships  en- 
gaged in  this  trade  which  should  bring  into  Great  Britain 
the  largest  quantity  of  oil;  and  on  the  13tli  of  May,  1811, 
the  number  of  ships  entitled  to  premiums  was  increased  to 
ten. 

It  was  also  enacted  in  order  to  draw  Americans,  who 
were  supposed  to  be  the  most  skillful  in  this  pursuit,  away 
from  their  own  country  and  thus  break  up  if  possible  the 
American  whale  fishery,  that  forty  families  of  foreigners 
might  establish  themselves  at  Milford  in  Pembrokeshire, 
bringing  with  them  twenty  ships  and  their  crews,  which 
wQre  allowed  all  the  privileges  granted  to  British  vessels 
provided  they  complied  with  certain  regulations.  One 
Rotch,  a  IS'ew  Bedford  Quaker,  embraced  the  liberal  ofler 
of  the  British  government,  and  carried  on  the  whaling 
business  from  Milford  on  an  extensive  scale,  and  one  of 
this  person's  ships,  the  Montezuma,  fell  into  the  hands  of 
Capt.  Porter,  which  seems  to  have  been  the  only  loss  this 
thrifty  renegade  sustained. 

At  the  time  of  the  Essex's  cruise,  it  was  supposed  there 
were  not  less  than  sixty  British  ships  engaged  in  the  south 
sea  whale  fishery,  worth,  with  their  outfits  on  leaving  Eng- 
land, $3,000,000 ;  and  on  their  return  with  their  cargoes 
$12,000,000.  As  we  have  had  occasion  to  remark  before, 
many  of  these  vessels  were  authorized  to  capture  Ameri- 
can merchant  vessels,  showing  the  determination  of  their 
government  to  break  up  our  trade  by  one  means  or  another. 

Great  Britain,  whatever  may  be  her  faults,  has  always 
exercised  a  parental  care  over  her  subjects  and  commerce,  in 
every  part  of  the  world.  Her  wealth  and  grandeur  she  owes 
to  her  commerce  ;  and  grateful  for  the  advantages  it  has 
brought  to  her,  she  fosters  it  in  every  known  way.  She 
has  succeeded  in  driving  our  commerce,  which  once  nearly 
equalled  her  own,  from  the  ocean  by  her  liberal  policy  to 
English  ship  owners.  This  is  all  right  as  far  as  England  is 
concerned,  and  it  is,  perhaps,  wiser  for  us  to  sucumb 
than  to  be  involved  in  perpetual  war,  since  she  is  bound 
to  drive  us  from  the  ocean  in  one  way  or  another,   by 


148  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

fair  means  or  foul.  England  will  brook  no  rival  to  her 
navy  or  to  her  commerce.  She  depends  on  the  former  for 
her  position,  and  on  the  latter  for  the  means  to  uphold  it. 
With  fifty  times  her  resources,  we  are  all  the  time  play- 
ing into  her  hands  —  occupying  the  humiliating  position 
of  fostering  the  commerce  of  a  nation  that  has  oppressed  us 
more  than  any  other  upon  earth,  when,  with  proper  laws, 
we  could  in  ten  years  possess  the  controlling  influence  upon 
the  seas. 

[N'othing  of  consequence  transpired,  after  leaving  the 
Galapagos  islands,  until  the  main  land  of  Peru  was  sighted 
on  the  14th  June,  in  lat.  0°  47'  28''  north.  The  vessels 
were  spread  out  over  the  ocean  on  the  look  out  for  prizes, 
but  none  were  seen.  On  the  night  of  the  16th,  land  was 
discovered  ahead,  and  at  break  of  day  the  ships  were  close 
to  the  shore  of  the  island  of  La  Plata.  Captain  Porter 
went  on  shore,  and  found  the  island  to  be  about  eight  miles 
in  circumference,  and  of  an  aspect  the  most  desolate  ima- 
ginable, affording  neither  wood  nor  water  in  sufficient  quan- 
tities to  supply  ships.  Thinking  that  Mr.  Downes  might 
touch  at  the  island,  a  letter  was  left  for  him  in  a  bottle 
suspended  from  a  bush,  and  in  a  conspicuous  place  the  letters 
S.  X.  were  painted  on  a  rock,  as  a  clue  to  him  to  search 
for  the  letter.  Large  numbers  of  sperm  whales  were  seen 
near  this  island,  all  going  to  the  N.  W.  close  together  and 
with  great  rapidity,  a  certain  indication  in  the  opinion  of 
the  whalers  that  they  were  lately  pursued  by  man  or  by  a 
destructive  fish  called  the  whale  killer.  The  number  of 
whales  seen  in  this  locality,  both  sperm  and  fin  back, 
showed  that  it  was  a  fine  resort  for  whalers ;  but  the  island 
itself,  though  the  scene  of  some  romantic  stories,  had  few 
other  attractions.  Here  it  was  said  Drake  buried  his  spoils, 
and  the  buccaneers  resorted  to  watch  the  Spanish  fleets  from 
the  summit  of  the  island,  whence  objects  can  be  seen  for  a 
great  distance. 

While  examining  this  place,  the  Greenwich  and  Atlantic 
were  sent  in  chase  of  a  sail,  which  proved  to  be  a  Spanish 
brig  from  Panama  bound  to  Payta.  The  Spaniards,  sup- 
posing our  people  to  be  English,  informed  them  that  the 
Kereyda  a  Peruvian  privateer,  had  attacked  a  large  Ame- 
rican frigate,  and  shot  away  her  mainmast;  that  the  pri- 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         149 

vateer  had  suffered  much  in  the  action,  but  finding  the 
frigate  too  powerful  and  a  very  swift  sailer,  had  thought  it 
necessary,  in  order  to  effect  her  escape,  to  lighten  ship  by 
throwing  her  guns  overboard  ! ! 

On  the  19th,  the  ships  made  the  island  of  St.  Close,  or 
Dead  man's  island,  in  the  gulf  of  Guayaquil,  and  thence 
they  proceeded  to  Tumbez  on  the  south  side  of  the  gulf  in 
about  lat.  3°  20'  south.  Here  Captain  Porter  buried  one 
of  the  best  of  his  men,  who  was  killed  by  a  fall  from  aloft. 
His  shipmates  of  the  Essex  placed  over  his  grave  the  fol- 
lowing characteristic  epitaph : 

"  The  body  of  John  llodgers,  seaman,  who  departed  this  life  June 
19,  1813,  aged  32  years. 

Without  a  sigh 

He  bid  this  world  adieu, 

Without  one  pang 

His  fleeting  spirit  flew." 

Soon  after  anchoring  at  Tumbez,  Captain  Kandall  of  the 
Barclay  was  sent  on  shore  to  invite  the  governor  to  visit 
the  ship,  and  to  apologize  for  the  Captain  of  the  frigate's 
not  calling,  on  the  plea  of  indisposition.  A  supply  of 
wood  and  water  was  here  obtained  but  with  great  difficulty, 
owing  to  the  violence  of  the  surf.  On  the  22d,  Capt. 
Pandall  returned  to  the  fleet,  accompanied  by  the  governor 
of  Tumbez,  the  collector  of  the  port  and  an  old  gentleman, 
who  was  the  governor's  god-father.  These  people  were 
almost  in  rags,  yet  they  displayed  all  the  haughty  airs  of 
hidalgos.  IlTotwithstanding  his  ludicrous  appearance,  Capt. 
Porter  received  his  excellency  with  a  salute  of  nine  guns, 
and  during  the  24  hours  he  stayed  on  board,  he  was 
treated  with  distinguished  consideration ;  although  the 
sailors  had  as  much  as  they  could  do  to  keep  from  laugh- 
ing in  his  face.  It  was  desirable  to  be  on  friendly  terms 
with  these  people,  in  order  to  dispose  of  some  of  the  cap- 
tured ships,  for  Captain  Porter  was  now  so  hampered,  that 
he  could  hardly  take  possession  of  any  more  prizes  without 
weakening  his  own  ship  too  much.  The  governor  and 
suite  received  a  present  of  one  hundred  dollars  on  leaving 
the  Essex,  with  a  promise  of  much  more  in  case  they  suc- 
ceeded in  disposing  of  the  ships. 


150  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

jN'ext  day  Captain  Porter  visited  the  town  of  Tumbez,  a 
little  filthy  place  on  a  narrow,  shallow  river.  With  the 
exception  of  game  and  fish  which  were  abundant,  the  place 
presented  few  attractions.  Having  little  confidence  in  the 
good  faith  of  the  governor,  Captain  Porter  took  the  pre- 
caution to  arm  his  boat's  crew,  a  circumstance  which  he 
did  not  regret,  when  the  governor  began  to  question  him 
about  the  condition  of  afikirs  between  Spain  and  the  United 
States,  and  seemed  to  be  in  doubt  whether  the  war  between 
Great  Britain  and  the  United  States  did  not  extend  to  the 
allies  of  the  former.  However,  the  hope  of  further  pre- 
sents and  the  dread  of  summary  punishment  from  the 
Americans,  overcame  every  other  consideration,  and  the 
governor  gave  his  new  acquaintances  the  best  reception 
his  means  afforded.  The  governor's  wife,  a  handsome  half 
breed,  cooked  the  dinner  while  the  party  wandered  around 
the  little  town,  and  were  warmly  welcomed  in  the  huts  of 
the  inhabitants,  where  men,  women,  children,  hogs,  dogs 
and  jackasses  were  mixed  up  promiscuously ;  but  the  multi- 
tude of  fleas  soon  caused  our  people  to  beat  a  hasty  retreat. 

'No  Yankee  that  ever  existed,  showed  greater  avarice 
than  the  miserable  inhabitants  of  Tumbez,  when  they  heard 
that  the  Americans  had  some  presents  to  dispose  of.  They 
came  flocking  to  the  governor's  house,  each  with  some 
trifling  offering ;  a  pair  of  fowls,  a  dozen  eggs,  a  few 
oranges,  or  whatever  else  they  thought  could  extort  money. 

On  Captain  Porter's  return  to  the  Essex  in  the  evening, 
a  disagreeably  circumstance  occurred,  which  caused  him 
much  embarrassment.  One  of  the  lieutenants  had,  on  several 
occasions,  been  so  much  intoxicated  as  to  compel  the  Cap- 
tain to  arrest  him,  and  at  such  times  his  conduct  had  been 
extremely  offensive  to  all  on  board ;  but  as  this  officer 
was  much  esteemed  for  his  many  good  qualities,  his  brother 
officers  interceded  and  pledged  themselves  for  his  future 
good  conduct,  and  Capt.  Porter  finally  relieved  him  from 
arrest  on  his  solemn  promise  of  amendment.  While  the 
Captain  was  absent  at  Tumbez,  this  officer  took  advantage 
of  the  circumstance  to  gratify  his  propensity  for  drinking ; 
and  on  the  former's  return,  not  knowing  the  lieutenant's 
condition,  he  sent  for  him,  and  as  he  did  not  appear  went  to 
his  room,  where  finding  him  drunk  and  violent  he  placed 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         151 

him  under  arrest ;  whereupon  the  officer  attempted  to  shoot 
himself,  but  was  finally  secured.  This  painful  incident  left 
the  ship  with  only  one  lieutenant,  and  it  became  necessary 
to  supply  the  deficiency.  Lieut.  McKnight  was  therefore 
orderd  again  to  the  Essex,  and  Chaplain  Adams  was  placed 
in  command  of  the  Atlantic,  the  sailing  master  was  ap- 
pointed acting  third  lieutenant,  Midshipman  Cowan  acting 
4th,  and  Midshipman  Odenheimer  acting  sailing  master. 
The  younger  midshipmen,  mere  boys,  were  placed  as  prize 
masters  on  board  the  captured  ships,  with  reliable  seamen 
to  take  care  of  them. 

The  governor  of  Tumbez  at  first  permitted  boats  to  go 
off  to  the  ships,  but  soon  revoked  the  permission  in  order 
that  he  might  monopolize  all  the  trade,  and  stationed 
guards  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  to  prevent  the  inhabitants 
from  communicating  with  the  Americans.  I^othing  was 
heard  from  the  purser  for  several  days,  and  the  apprehen- 
sions for  his  safety  were  increased  by  the  disappearance  of 
the  mate  of  one  of  the  captured  ships,  who  was  permitted 
to  go  on  shore  to  buy  necessaries.  The  governor  of  Tum- 
bez was  subordinate  to  the  governor  of  Guayaquil,  and 
from  an  anonymous  letter  received  by  Capt.  Porter  from 
Guayaquil,  taken  in  connection  with  other  circumstances, 
he  saw  that  it  was  a  waste  of  time  to  negotiate  with  these 
people. 

On  the  morning  of  the  24th,  three  square  rigged  vessels 
were  seen  standing  into  the  bay,  and  as  they  approached  a 
boat  put  off  from  one  of  the  ships  which  proved  to  contain 
Lieut.  Downes,  who  was  received  by  the  Essex  with  three 
hearty  cheers.  Downes  reported  that  he  had  captured 
near  James  island  three  British  ships  ;  the  Hector,  11  guns, 
270  tons,  25  men ;  Catherine,  8  guns,  270  tons,  29  men ; 
Pose,  8  guns,  270  tons,  21  men.  It  appears  that  the  two 
latter  vessels  approached  the  Georgianna,  and  had  no  sus- 
picion of  an  enemy  until  the  Americans  got  on  board  of 
them.  The  Hector  was  approached  late  at  night  and  was 
at  first  supposed  to  be  a  Spanish  sloop  of  war ;  but  when 
Lieut.  Downes  ascertained  her  to  be  British,  he  summoned 
her  to  surrender,  which  the  enemy  refusing  to  do,  a  shot  was 
fired  into  her,  doing  considerable  damage.  The  Hector 
now  tried  to  escape,  and  declining  to  surrender,  five  broad- 


152  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

sides  were  poured  into  her,  which  killed  and  wounded  eight 
men  and  reduced  the  ship  almost  to  the  condition  of  a 
wreck.  After  Lieut.  Downes  had  put  a  prize  crew  on 
board  the  Hector,  his  own  crew  amounted  to  only  ten  men, 
while  his  prisoners  were  seventy-five  in  number ;  and  as  the 
Rose  proved  a  dull  sailer  he  threw  overboard  her  guns  and 
cargo  of  sperm  oil,  and  restored  the  vessel  to  the  captain 
on  condition  that  he  would  proceed  with  all  the  prisoners 
to  St.  Helena ;  the  latter  obliging  themselves  not  to  serve 
against  the  United  States  until  regularly  exchanged. 
After  getting  rid  of  the  Rose  Lieut.  Downes  cruised  ofl*  the 
coast  until  he  fell  in  with  the  Essex. 

The  fleet  in  Tumbez  now  amounted  to  nine  vessels,  and 
as  the  Atlantic  was  in  every  way  superior  to  the  Georgianna, 
Porter  immediately  mounted  on  her  20  guns,  christened 
her  the  Essex  Junior,  and  placed  her  under  command  of 
Lieut.  Downes  with  a  crew  of  sixty  men.  Midshipman 
Dashiel  was  appointed  sailing  master,  and  Chaplain  Adams 
was  placed  in  command  of  the  Georgianna. 

It  seems  strange  to  think  of  mere  boys  being  put  into 
such  responsible  positions  as  Porter  was  compelled  to  give 
his  midshipmen;  but  they  had  been  carefully  instructed 
during  the  cruise,  under  the  Captain's  immediate  supervi- 
sion ;  their  instructor  in  navigation  and  mathematics 
being  Chaplain  Adams,  a  proficient  in  those  branches. 
The  result  was  that  every  midshipman  was  a  practical 
navigator,  and  the  exciting  scenes  through  which  they 
passed  had  stamped  the  character  of  manhood  on  them  in 
early  life,  as  they  had  on  Porter  and  Downes.  Here  was  a 
school  for  heroes,  and  Porter  must  have  left  the  impress 
of  his  character  on  every  one  who  had  any  stamina  what- 
ever. 

The  Greenwich  was  now  mounted  with  20  guns,  and 
converted  into  a  storeship ;  putting  on  board  of  her  all 
the  spare  provisions,  cordage,  &c.,  thus  securing  in  one 
vessel  articles  sufficient  to  last  the  fleet  for  seven  months. 

The  purser,  whose  long  absence  from  the  ship  had 
caused  much  anxiety,  now  returned  and  explained  the 
cause  of  his  prolonged  stay  as  being  due  to  the  avarice  of 
the  governor,  who  desired  to  monoplize  all  trade,  but  was 
too  indolent  to  supply  what  the  purser  required. 


Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter.         153 

The  Essex  was  now  enabled  to  get  rid  of  her  numerous 
prisoners,  who  were  in  every  way  an  incumbrance.  At 
their  own  request,  they  were  put  on  shore  at  Tumbez ;  all 
their  private  property  being  restored  to  them  even  in  the 
case  of  the  renegade  Weir.  They  bound  themselves  not 
to  serve  against  the  United  States  until  regularly  ex- 
changed. About  seventy-five  of  these  prisoners  had  volun- 
teered for  the  Essex  and  the  cruise ;  and  it  may  seem 
strange  that  Porter  should  have  accepted  their  services, 
after  so  severely  condemning  the  base  conduct  of  Weir. 
The  cases  were,  however,  very  different,  for  most  of  these 
recruits  claimed  to  be  Americans;  and,  in  one  instance, 
there  could  exist  no  doubt.  This  person  on  being  asked 
if  he  was  an  American  answered  :  "  An  faith  yer  honor 
I'm  nothin'  else,  an'  was  borrn  in  I^ew  Yorrk  before  I  came 
from  ould  Ireland,"  after  which  conclusive  evidence  he 
was  enlisted  with  others  of  like  accent.  This  was  evi- 
dently a  case  of  being  born  again. 

The  bona  fide  Britons  excused  themselves  for  fighting 
against  their  flag,  on  the  ground  that  the  war  was  one 
against  the  impressment  of  sailors,  and  that  British  sailors 
had  sufiered  quite  as  much  as  others ;  in  fact  we  suspect 
that  the  motto  on  the  Essex's  flag,"  Free  trade  and  sailors ' 
rights,"  had  a  good  deal  to  do  with  enticing  the  British 
sailors  away  from  their  "  loyalty."  It  was  well  known 
that  British  sailors  did  not  hesitate  to  fight  against  their 
flag  in  the  war  of  1812,  never  having  received  any  previous 
encouragement  to  defend  it.  Since  then,  England  has 
learned  better  how  to  treat  those  upon  whom  depends  her 
safety ;  while  we,  it  is  to  be  feared,  have  gained  nothing 
by  experience ;  and  taking  no  trouble  to  enact  wise .  laws 
for  the  protection  of  our  seamen,  are  likely,  when  we  want 
the  services  of  our  best  tars,  in  time  of  war,  to  find  them 
in  the  British  navy. 


20 


154  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Of  the  morning  of  the  30th  of  June,  1813,  the  little 
fleet  got  underway  from  Tumbez,  and  stood  off  the  land  to 
fall  in  with  the  easterly  trade  winds.  All  the  mechanics 
were  kept  busy  on  board  the  Essex  junior,  building  up  the 
bulwarks  and  making  her  as  much  like  a  ship  of  war 
as  possible. 

On  the  4th  of  July,  the  Essex  junior  fired  a  salute  of 
seventeen  guns,  and  the  allowance  of  grog  on  board  all 
the  ships  being  doubled  for  the  occasion,  was  more  than 
usually  relished,  from  the  fact  that  all  hands  had  been  on 
short  allowance  for  some  time.  The  repairs  of  the  Essex 
junior  being  completed,  Capt.  Porter  directed  Lieut. 
Downes  to  proceed  to  Valparaiso  with  the  prizes  Hector, 
Catherine,  Policy,  and  Montezuma,  and  the  American 
whaleship  Barclay ;  leave  the  Barclay  there,  and  sell  the 
other  vessels  to  the  best  advantage.  If  he  thought  proper, 
he  was  authorized  to  send  the  Policy  with  her  cargo  of 
sperm  oil  to  the  United  States,  as  the  oil  could  not  be  sold 
to  advantage  on  the  South  American  coast.  The  sealed 
instructions  to  be  opened  after  leaving  Valparaiso  read  as 
follows : 

Sir :  On  leaving  Valparaiso,  you  will  scour  the  coast  of  Peru, 
keeping  the  usual  distance  for  whalers.  It  will  be  advisable  to  look 
into  the  harbor  of  Callao,  and  from  thence  proceed  to  the  Galapagos, 
searching  Hood  and  Charles  island  for  letters.  Should  you  find  none 
at  either  of  those  places,  look  into  James  island.  Get  clear  of  all 
prisoners  if  possible,  and  proceed  to  join  me  at  the  island  of  Chitahoo 
or  Santa  Christiana,  one  of  the  Marquesas,  where  you  will  find  me 
at  anchor,  or  hear  from  me  in  Resolution  bay  in  the  latter  part  of 
September  and  first  of  October.     I  intend  there  to  refit  my  ship. 

D.  Porter. 
Lieut.  John  Downes. 

After  parting  company  with  the  Essex  Jr.,  and  her  con- 
voy in   the  longitude   of  the   Galapagos,   the   course   of 


Memoir  of  Commodore  DavId  Porter.         155 

the  Essex  was  shaped  for  those  islands  which  Porter  was 
induced  to  revisit,  having  received  information  that  three 
well  armed  English  ships  had  sailed  thither  from  Tumbez, 
a  fortnight  before  his  arrival  in  the  latter  place.  Having 
heard  of  the  Essex  being  on  the  coast,  these  ships  were 
keeping  together  for  mutual  protection,  and  had  even  ex- 
pressed an  intention  of  finding  the  Essex,  and  attacking 
her,  which  would  have  suited  Porter  exactly.  The  Georgi- 
anna  and  the  store  ship  G-reenwich  remained  in  company 
with  the  frigate,  as  it  was  the  intention  to  send  the  first 
named  ship  to  the  United  States  with  a  cargo  of  oil,  so 
that  she  might  arrive  in  the  dead  of  winter,  when  the 
British  ships  of  war  could  not  remain  on  blockade  before 
the  northern  ports. 

It  was  with  feeling  quite  akin  to  joy,  when  the  crew  of 
the  Essex  once  more  sighted  Charles  island.  The  Gala- 
pagos group  had  proved  a  gold  mine  to  them,  and  furnished 
the  excitement  of  which  sailors  are  so  fond.  The  islands, 
with  their  romantic  nooks  and  feasts  of  turtle  would  be  a 
pleasant  change  from  stupid  Tumbez,  and  its  flea  bitten 
population. 

On  the  14th,  off  Banks's  bay,  the  lookout  from  the  mast 
head  reported  three  ships  in  sight,  standing  on  a  wind, 
some  distance  apart.  The  Essex  immediately  stood  off  the 
wind  for  the  centre  ship,  while  the  other  two  stood  on 
different  tacks  with  a  view  to  escape.  The  one  of  which 
the  Essex  was  in  chase  now  bore  up  from  her,  and  ran  off 
the  wind,  and  the  chase  became  very  exciting.  The  in- 
shore ship  tacked  to  the  windward  of  the  Essex,  and  stood 
for  the  Georgiana  and  Greenwich,  with  the  evident  inten- 
tion of  cutting  them  oft';  whereupon  the  Greenwich  hove 
to,  to  await  the  coming  up  of  the  Georgiana,  and  get  her 
crew  from  that  ship,  after  which  she  stood  boldly  for  the 
stranger.  The  Essex  had  meanwhile  captured  the  vessel 
of  which  she  was  in  chase,  which  proved  to  be  the  British 
ship  Charlton  often  guns.  The  Greenwich  now  neared  the 
English  ship,  and  John  Bull,  not  thinking  it  proper  to  strike 
his  colors  to  another  whaler,  without  a  struggle,  gallantly 
opened  his  broadside,  which  was  returned  by  the  Green- 
wich with  such  eftect  that  the  enemy  was  obliged  to  haul 
down  his  flag;  notwithstanding  which,  he  attempted  to  run 


156  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

away,  the  Greenwich  hanging  on  his  quarter  and  crippling 
sails  and  rigging  with  her  fire.  The  Essex  then  joined  in 
pursuit,  and  seeing  no  hope  of  escape  the  Englishman  sur- 
rendered. This  prize  was  the  Seringapatam  of  14  guns. 
About  an  hour  afterwards,  the  Essex  managed  to  overhaul 
the  third  ship,  which  was  the  ISTew  Zealander  of  eight  guns. 

Capt.  Porter  was  particularly  pleased  with  the  capture 
of  the  Seringapatam,  not  only  because  she  was  reputed  the 
finest  British  ship  in  these  seas,  but  because  her  captain 
had  the  reputation  of  being  a  man  of  great  enterprise  and 
energy,  and  had  shown  a  good  deal  of  courage  before  sur- 
rendering his  ship.  He  professed  to  be  commissioned  with 
letters-of-marque ;  had  already  captured  an  American 
whaleship ;  and  would,  doubtless,  have  inflicted  great  in- 
jury on  our  commerce  if  his  career  had  not  been  cut  short 
by  the  Essex.  Although  on  a  whaling  voyage,  the  captain 
had  troubled  himself  very  little  with  his  legitimate  busi- 
ness, doubtless  hoping  to  fill  up  his  casks  from  captured 
Americans ;  but  on  being  asked,  by  Captain  Porter,  to 
surrender  his  commission,  he  was  obliged  to  acknowledge 
that  he  had  not  yet  received  it.  As  this  man  and  all  his 
ship's  company  were  pirates  in  the  eyes  of  the  law.  Cap- 
tain Porter  ordered  them  all  to  be  put  in  irons ;  but  as- 
certaining from  the  American  prisoners  on  board  the 
Seringapatam  that  they  had  been  well  treated,  and  satisfied 
that  the  captain  was  alone  to  blame,  all  were  liberated 
from  confinement  with  the  exception  of  that  individual. 
The  capture  of  the  three  vessels  was  very  creditable  to  all 
concerned ;  the  officers  and  crew  of  the  Greenwich,  in 
particular,  showing  great  bravery  in  running  down,  and 
attacking  a  much  stronger  vessel. 

The  Essex  now  bore  up  with  her  prizes  for  James 
island,  but  was  prevented  from  making  port,  by  the 
strength  of  the  north  west  current,  and  finding  himself 
hampered  with  the  Charlton,  Porter,  after  taking  her  guns 
out,  gave  her  up  to  her  captain  on  condition  of  his  landing  all 
the  prisoners,  48  in  number,  at  Rio  de  Janeiro.  To  this 
contract,  both  the  captain  of  the  Charlton  and  of  the  'New 
Zealander,  bound  themselves  by  oath.  The  mates  and 
sailors,  however,  expressed  their  determination  not  to  go 
into  any  port  where  they  were  likely  to  meet  a  British 


Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter.         157 

ship  of  war,  so  great  was  their  horror  of  impressment ;  and 
the  J  requested  Capt  Porter  to  allow  them  boats,  that  thej 
might  take  their  chances  of  reaching  shore ;  a  petition  he 
was  obliged  to  refuse,  lest  it  might  be  said  he  had  turned 
them  adrift  in  mid  ocean.  They  then  requested  to  remain, 
and  volunteered  to  ship  on  board  the  Essex,  but  the 
Captain  declined  their  proposition.  They  finally  became 
so  turbulent,  at  the  prospect  of  being  placed  once  more  on 
board  a  British  vessel,  that  Capt.  Porter  had  to  threaten 
them  with  coercive  measures,  in  order  to  restore  the  mas- 
ter of  the  Charlton's  authority ;  but,  after  reasoning  with 
the  men  on  the  impropriety  of  their  conduct,  like  all 
sailors  when  properly  appealed  to,  they  w^ent  on  board 
quite  cheerfully,  with  many  wishes  for  the  welfare  of  the 
Essex  and  her  crew,  and  three  hearty  cheers  at  parting,  a 
striking  commentary  on  the  strictures  of  the  British  press 
of  the  day,  against  Captain  Porter. 

The  Seringapatam  was  a  fast  sailer,  and  had  originally 
been  built  as  a  ship  of  war  for  Tippoo  Saib ;  in  a  few  days 
she  was  completely  equipped  for  service,  with  twenty-two 
guns  mounted  on  her.  She  was  placed  in  charge  of  Mr. 
Terry,  master's  mate ;  and  the  Kew  Zealander  in  charge 
of  Purser  Shaw,  both  with  instructions  not  to  separate 
from  the  Essex.  All  the  diflerent  grades  of  officers,  except 
the  surgeon,  had  now  been  in  charge  of  prizes;  command- 
ing officers  were  as  plenty  as  generals  in  an  army  corps, 
and  fleet  sailing  was  perhaps  better  understood  and  prac- 
ticed then  than  it  has  been  since  in  the  United  States  navy. 

After  bothering  with  the  eccentric  currents  of  the  Gala- 
pagos for  some  days,  Capt.  Porter  determined  to  send  the 
Georgiana  to  the  United  States  with  her  cargo  of  oil ; 
and  the  lieutenant  who  had  been  placed  under  arrest  was, 
at  the  solicitation  of  his  brother  officers,  relieved  from 
arrest  and  placed  in  command.  Although  the  terms  of 
enlistment  of  many  of  the  Essex's  crew  had  expired,  few 
of  them  desired  to  return  home  before  the  frigate ;  but  a 
crew  was  finally  made  up,  and  the  prize  sailed  for  the 
United  States  on  the  25th  of  July. 

While  working  in  among  the  islands,  a  sail  was  made 
early  in  the  morning  —  a  ship  under  three  topsails,  with  a 
fresh   breeze   on   a  wind,    while    the   Essex   and  prizes 


158  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

were  lying  becalmed  with  a  strong  current  setting  them 
towards  Redondo.  Sail  was  made  to  chase  the  stranger, 
but  she  was  soon  lost  sight  of;  and  the  whole  attention, 
of  Captain  and  crew,  was  occupied  to  prevent  the  Essex 
from  drifting  upon  the  island,  where  the  sea  was  breaking 
furiously  against  its  inaccessible  rocks,  threatening  the  ship 
with  certain  destruction  should  she  be  carried  on  shore. 
But,  by  working  the  drags  vigorously  and  the  assist- 
ance of  a  breeze  that  sprung  up,  the  ship  was  at  length  out 
of  danger.  Early  next  morning,  the  cry  "  sail  ho  !  "  was 
heard,  again,  and  by  aid  of  the  glass  a  ship  was  seen  standing 
on  a  wind  to  the  N^.  E.  towards  the  Essex.  At  9.30,  she  was 
directly  to  windward  and  distant  seven  miles,  when  evi- 
dently seeing  that  her  chaser  was  a  frigate,  she  hoisted 
American  colors  and  endeavored  to  escape.  Every  eftbrt 
was  now  made  to  come  up  with  the  stranger,  which  was 
evidently  an  English  whaler ;  the  wind  becoming  light 
drags  were  used  until  the  crew  were  broken  down.  The 
distance  between  the  ships  had  diminished  to  four  miles, 
when  the  stranger  commenced  to  tow  with  all  his  boats, 
with  the  evident  intention  of  running  the  ship  on  to  Abing- 
ton  point,  which  was  not  far  distant.  Two  boats  were  ac- 
cordingly sent  from  the  Essex,  ahead  of  the  strange  ship, 
with  a  few  good  marksmen  to  drive  the  towing  boats  in, 
but  with  strict  orders  to  make  no  attempt  on  her,  as 
Capt.  Porter  felt  that  it  was  unnecessary  to  risk  the  lives 
of  his  men,  when  the  capture  of  the  enemy's  vessel  was  so 
certain  without  it.  The  boats  of  the  stranger  were  soon 
driven  in,  when  she  opened  fire  with  two  guns  from  the 
forecastle,  and  the  frigate's  boats  had  some  difficulty  in 
avoiding  the  shot.  The  stranger  had,  in  the  meantime, 
hoisted  British  colors.  By  four  o'clock,  both  vessels  were 
becalmed,  not  more  than  three  and  a  half  miles  apart ;  and 
as  anything  was  preferable  in  the  minds  of  the  sailors  to 
working  the  drags,  they  were  greatly  delighted  when  Por- 
ter gave  orders  to  hoist  out  the  boats  and  carry  the  enemy 
by  boarding.  The  latter  seeing  so  formidable  a  force 
approaching,  fired  a  few  shots,  which  failing  to  check  their 
course,  the  British  flag  was  hauled  down.  The  boats  were 
now  but  three  quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  stranger,  when 
a  fresh  breeze  sprung  up  from  the  eastward,  and  the  enemy 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         159 

again  hoisted  his  colors  and  made  all  sail  to  escape,  firing 
on  the  two  boats  first  sent  from  the  Essex  as  they  passed ; 
and  at  sunset  he  was  hull  down.  The  frigate  lay  becalmed 
and  the  boats  continued  the  chase,  in  the  hope  that  it 
would  fall  calm  again.  After  sunset  a  breeze  sprung  up, 
the  boats  were  overtaken  and  the  chase  renewed,  the 
British  vessel's  course  was  followed  during  the  night  but 
without  avail,  for  at  daylight  no  sail  was  in  sight. 

The  stranger  was  believed  to  have  been  the ,   as 

no  other  British  whale  ship  was  known  to  be  on  the  coast 
except  the  Comet  of  20  guns,  fitted  out  both  for  whaling 
and  for  capturing  American  vessels.  The  officers  and 
crew  consoled  themselves  for  this  disappointment,  with  the 
reflection  that  this  was  the  first  vessel  that  had  escaped 
them ;  but,  in  spite  of  this  philosophy,  it  is  to  be  feared 
that  Ihey  were  a  little  spoiled  by  their  previous  successes. 

On  the  morning  of  the  4th  of  August  the  Essex  anchored 
with  her  prizes  in  the  harbor  of  James  island,  in  order  to 
make  the  repairs  that  had  become  necessary  by  knocking 
about  the  ocean  so  long  under  press  of  sail.  Up  to  this 
time  (nearly  ten  months),  the  Essex  had  not  cost  the  go- 
vernment anything  for  provisions,  stores  or  equipment, 
having  lived  entirely  upon  the  enemy ;  to  say  nothing  of 
the  total  destruction  of  the  British  whalefishery  in  the 
Pacific,  and  the  capture  of  several  ships  that  would  have 
proved  very  disastrous  to  American  commerce. 

The  Seringapatam  was  now  painted  to  look  like  the 
Essex,  after  which,  the  appearance  of  the  latter  was  en- 
tirely changed,  and  the  Greenwich  was  made  to  look  like 
a  sloop  of  war;  Capt.  Porter  hoping  in  future  to  derive 
some  advantage  over  the  enemy  by  means  of  this  deception. 

At  James  island,  it  was  discovered  that  the  Essex's 
powder  had  become  damaged,  and  it  had  all  to  be  taken 
ashore  to  dry  and  sift  it.  It  also  became  necessary  to  take 
nearly  all  the  powder  from  the  Seringapatam  to  supply 
the  deficiency  on  board  the  Essex.  It  was  fortunate  that 
the  damage  was  rectified  in  time,  as  in  case  of  meeting 
with  an  enemy,  the  ship  would  have  been  placed  in  an 
unpleasant  predicament.  Fourteen  tons  weight  of  tortoises 
were  now  put  on  board  the  Essex,  and  a  corresponding 
amount  on  board  the  other  vessels.     They  were  piled  up 


160  Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter. 

in  the  hold  to  use  when  required,  and  not  needing  food  or 
water  were  an  exceedingly  convenient  description  of  live 
stock  to  take  to  sea. 

The  Galapagos  islands  deserve  a  more  extended  account, 
than  the  limits  of  this  work  will  allow.  They  seem  to  have 
been  placed  by  nature,  as  a  depot  of  supplies  for  wanderers 
over  the  Pacific.  The  buccaneers  resorted  to  them,  with- 
out the  least  fear  of  surprise,  to  indulge  in  their  ferocious 
revelry ;  and  it  adds  much  to  the  interest  we  feel  in  the 
Galapagos,  to  conjecture  that  the  gold  and  silver,  plun- 
dered from  the  churches  and  from  Spanish  merchants,  may 
yet  be  stored  away  in  secret  hiding  places  on  those  lonely 
shores.  Although  there  seems  to  be  very  little  fresh  water 
in  the  islands  (and  the  crew  of  the  Essex  were  never  able 
to  find  permanent  springs),  yet  the  stomachs  of  the  tortoises 
frequently  contained  upwards  of  a  gallon. 

A  tragical  event  took  place  during  their  stay  at  James 
island.  Lieut.  Cowan,  a  promising  young  of&cer,  was 
killed  in  a  duel  and  buried  on  the  spot  where  he  fell. 
His  death  was  much  regretted  by  Capt.  Porter,  who,  in  his 
journal,  makes  some  feeling  remarks  on  the  subject,  and 
strongly  in  deprecation  of  the  barbarous  custom  by  which 
the  services  of  a  valuable  ofiicer  were  lost  to  his  country, 
at  a  time  when  they  were  most  needed.  Porter  caused  the 
following  inscription  to  be  placed  over  the  grave  of  the 
unfortunate  officer : 

Sacred  to  the  Memory 

OF 

Lieut.  John.  S.  Cowan  of  the  U.  S.  Frigate  Essex, 

Who  died  liere  anno  domini  1813, 

aged  21. 

His  loss  is  ever  to  be  regretted  by  his  country  and  mourned 
by  his  friends  and  brother  officers. 

Previous  to  sailing,  Capt.  Porter  left  at  the  "  post 
office,"  with  a  desire  to  mislead  the  enemy,  a  letter  giving 
a  dismal  account  of  the  ravages  of  the  scurvy  on  board 
the  frigate,  and  of  being  compelled  to  burn  their  prizes 
for  want  of  men  to  man  them ;  together  with  a  long  list  of 
imaginary  dead  men  for  the  benefit  of  John  Bull,  l^o 
doubt  some  British  whaler  got  hold  of  this  precious  docu- 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  161 

ment,  and  exulted  greatly  at  the  misfortunes  of  the  Yankee 
frigate;  although  he  must  have  wondered  where  all  the 
dead  were  buried.  To  a  matter  of  fact  person  these  mis- 
representations may  seem  wrong,  but  it  is  hardly  necessary 
to  remind  our  readers  that  everything  of  this  kind  is 
"  fair  in  war,'*  and  a  strict  adherence  to  truth  is  not 
always  practicable. 

On  the  22d  of  August  the  Essex  and  her  prizes  anchored 
in  Banks's  bay,  and  the  latter  were  directed  to  proceed  to 
the  cove  inside  ISTarborough  with  the  following  orders, 
which  will  explain  the  arrangements  made  for  their  con- 
duct, and  the  future  designs  of  Capt.  Porter. 

U.  S.  Frigate  Essex, 
Bank's  Bay,  21st  August,  1813. 

Sir :  You  will  proceed  to  the  cove  with  the  G-reenwich  and  moor 
her  agreeably  to  the  instructions  already  given  you ;  the  crew  of 
the  Greenwich  will  be  kept  complete  for  the  protection  of  the  other 
vessels;  and,  in  the  event  of  being  attacked,  you  will  call  on  the 
other  prize  masters  and  their  men  to  assist  on  board  your  ship  ;  but 
it  is  expected  you  will  only  act  on  the  defensive.  Should  I  not 
appear  in  six  weeks  from  the  time  of  my  leaving  this,  you  will  pro- 
ceed to  Valparaiso  in  company  with  the  Seringapatam  after  the 
articles  of  value  are  taken  from  the  New  Zealander  and  that  ship  is 
burnt.  If,  however,  Lieut.  Downes  should  appear  before  the  ex- 
piration of  six  weeks  from  the  time  of  my  leaving  this,  you  will 
please  deliver  him  the  enclosed  letter,  which  contains  instructions 
for  the  guidance  of  his  conduct  respecting  the  disposal  of  the  prizes. 

I  must  recommend  your  keeping  constantly  on  guard  with  a  look 
out  from  a  suitable  point.  Let  the  ships  be  ready  for  sea  on  the 
shortest  notice,  and  suffer  no  guns  to  be  jfired,  no  fires  at  night,  or 
any  other  practices  by  which  you  may  be  discovered. 

Should  I  appear  off  with  an  English  red  ensign  hoisted  union 
down,  at  the  fore,  you  will  send  a  boat  on  board  the  Essex.  If  the 
same  signal  is  made  at  the  main,  it  will  be  for  the  Seringapatam  and 
New  Zealander  to  send  their  boats  for  their  crews,  and  you  will 
please  to  furnish  them  assistance  for  the  purpose  if  necessary. 
Should  you  leave  the  cove  before  I  arrive  you  will  bury  a  bottle 
containing  a  letter  in  some  suitable  spot  near  the  landing  place  at 
the  head  of  the  cove  and  cut  in  the  rocks  immediately  over  it  the 
letters  S.  X.  in  order  that  I  may  be  enabled  to  find  it. 

I  need  not  inform  you  how  important  it  is  that  the  prizes  should 
not  fall  into  the  hands  of  an  enemy.     Your  situation   will   render 
their  destruction  (in  the  last  extremity)  very  easy.     I  would  re- 
21 


162         Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter. 

commend  to  you  to  have  as  many  boats  as  may  be  necessary  for  the 
escape  of  the  crews,  in  constant  readiness  for  service,  and  a  suffi- 
ciency of  provisions  and  water  &c.,  &c.,  provided  for  them  at  the 
shortest  notice ;  and,  in  the  event  of  the  necessity  of  taking  to  them, 
I  would  advise  your  proceeding  to  Charles'  island  as  the  most  likely 
place  of  meeting  with  the  Essex  Junior  or  Essex  and  in  case  you 
should  not  fall  in  with  either,  it  appears  the  most  likely  place  for 
you  to  take  by  surprise  some  British  vessel.  Trusting  much  to  your 
discretion, 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  respectfully, 

Your  obt.  servt. 
Lieutenant  John  M.  Gamble,  D.  Porter. 

Prize  master  of  the  ship  Greenwich. 

Similar  orders  were  given  to  Mr.  Shaw  and  to  Mr. 
Terry  of  the  Seringapatam,  and  a  letter  was  left  for  Lieut. 
Downes  directing  him  if  Capt.  Porter  did  not  arrive  by 
the  2d  of  October,  to  proceed  to  Valparaiso  with  the  prizes 
under  his  convoy,  pursuing  there  the  course  which  seemed 
to  him  most  proper. 

On  the  24th  of  August  Porter  got  under  way,  and 
cruised  about  the  islands  until  the  8th  of  September,  hop- 
ing to  fall  in  with  Lieut.  Downes  or  some  English  ships ; 
but  on  the  8th,  leaving  a  letter  for  Downes  on  Chatham 
island,  he  started  on  a  cruise  to  windward.  At  daylight  on 
the  14th,  a  ship  was  discovered  from  the  mast  head  appa- 
rently lying  to  under  easy  sail,  and  as  she  was  directly  to 
windward  it  was  not  deemed  advisable  to  excite  her  alarm 
by  making  much  sail.  The  fore  and  main  royal  yards 
were  consequently  sent  down,  the  masts  housed,  the  ports 
shut  in  and  the  frigate  made  to  look  as  much  as  possible 
like  a  whaler.  In  the  mean  time  the  Essex  kept  plying  to 
windward  towards  the  stranger,  while  the  latter  was  drift- 
ing fast  down  upon  the  frigate.  Capt.  Porter  now  made 
a  signal,  such  as  had  been  agreed  upon  between  the  cap- 
tain of  the  !N"ew  Zealander  and  a  certain  Captain  William 
Porter,  should  they  meet;  thinking  this  might  be  the 
whaleship  commanded  by  the  last  named  individual.  At 
one  p.  M.,  when  the  two  ships  were  about  four  miles  apart, 
the  stranger  suddenly  cast  off  from  the  whale  to  which  she 
was  fastened  and  set  all  sail  to  escape;  but  by  four  o'clock 
the  Essex  was  within  range,  and  after  firing  6  or  8  shot  at 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         163 

her,  she   bore  down  under  the   frigate's  lee  and  hauled 
down  the  British  colors. 

The  prize  proved  to  be  the  letter-of-marque  Sir  Andrew 
Hammond,  pierced  for  20  guns  and  with  12  mounted, 
carrying  36  men  and  commanded  by  the  identical  Wil- 
liam Porter  whose  signal  had  been  made ;  but  the  most 
agreeable  circumstance  attending  this  capture,  to  those  on 
board  the  Essex,  was  the  discovery  that  the  Hammond 
was  the  ship  that  had  led  them  such  a  dance  before,  and 
finally  escaped  out  of  their  hands.  The  Essex  had  so 
altered  her  appearance  that  those  on  board  the  Hammond 
never  for  a  moment  suspected  that  she  was  the  vessel  that 
had  chased  them  before.  The  Hammond  had  several 
thousand  dollars  worth  of  blubber  on  hand,  and  Capt. 
Porter,  in  order  not  to  lose  it,  put  a  crew  on  board  who  were 
accustomed  to  whaling,  in  charge  of  the  efficient  Chap- 
lain Adams.  In  order  that  the  blubber  might  be  more 
easily  converted  into  oil,  he  directed  Mr.  Adams  to  re- 
pair to  the  harbor  where  the  other  prizes  lay,  called  by 
him  Port  Rendezvous,  while  the  Essex  stood  through  the 
sound  into  Banks's  bay. 

Lieut.  Gamble  now  boarded  the  Essex,  in  his  boat,  and 
informed  Capt.  Porter  that  he  had  heard  several  guns  fired 
to  the  northward  the  day  before ;  and  that,  since  the  de- 
parture of  the  Essex,  a  ship  had  three  times  visited  Banks's 
bay.  The  ship  was  undoubtedly  the  Hammond ;  but  it  was 
more  difficult  to  account  for  the  guns  and  for  the  carcase  of 
a  fresh  killed  whale  which  had  lately  floated  into  the  bay. 
The  Essex  again  put  to  sea,  but  finding  no  vessels,  beat 
up  for  Port  Rendezvous  and  anchored  among  her  prizes. 
All  hands  were  glad  to  welcome  the  Essex,  and  the  arrival 
of  another  prize  added  to  their  satisfaction.  They  had 
begun  to  be  heartily  tired  of  a  place  where  the  only  inci- 
dents to  vary  the  scene  were  the  cries  of  the  sea  birds,  and 
the  melancholy  howling  of  the  seals.  They  missed  the 
master  spirit  of  their  adventures,  and  that  regular  em- 
ployment and  strict  discipline  which  in  a  ship  of  war  is 
essential  to  comfort. 

Lieut.  Downes  was  now  daily  expected,  and  Porter  only 
awaited  his  arrival  to  leave  forever  the  Enchanted  islands, 
to  proceed  to  the  Washington  group.     The  Essex  was  now 


164  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

completely  overrun  with  rats,  which  threatened  to  eat  up 
everything  on  board;  they  had  already  done  great  damage, 
and  the  ship  could  only  be  rid  of  them  by  removing  every- 
thing from  her,  for  which  and  for  other  purposes  a  good 
harbor  must  be  sought. 

About  this  time  occurred  the  first  trouble  that  had  been 
experienced  with  the  crew  of  the  Essex,  since  leaving 
the  United  States ;  and,  like  most  of  the  trouble  in  this 
world,  it  was  due  to  over  indulgence  in  ardent  spirits. 
The  Hammond  had,  when  captured,  a  large  supply  of  high 
proof  spirits  on  board,  and  as  the  men  had  long  been  on 
short  allowance,  this  accession  to  their  ration  was  more 
than  they  could  stand ;  so  that  on  serving  out  the  first  al- 
lowance many  of  the  men  were  carried  helpless  to  their 
hammocks.  Even  diluting  the  grog  did  not  wholly  cure 
the  evil ;  but  as  the  men  committed  no  further  improprie- 
ties in  consequence  of  the  effect  of  the  liquor,  they  were 
allowed  considerable  latitude.  One  Rynard,  a  quarter 
master,  had  been  four  years  on  board  the  Essex  and  was 
suspected  of  being  always  at  work  stirring  up  others  to 
complain,  though  he  did  not  dare  to  come  forward  himself, 
until  the  allowance  of  rum  was  reduced  on  the  coast  of 
Brazil.  His  conduct  then  showed  him  to  be  a  rogue,  and 
the  Captain  was  now  apprehensive  that  this  man  might 
exercise  a  mischievous  influence  over  his  crew,  many  of 
whose  times  had  expired;  knowing,  as  he  did,  that  sailors 
are,  like  children,  easily  influenced  for  good  or  evil  by  any- 
one with  whom  they  may  be  thrown  in  contact.  Rynard 
had,  under  the  influence  of  liquor,  committed  the  grossest 
outrages  and  been  most  insubordinate  and  disrespectful  to 
the  Captain,  who  had  him  placed  on  the  quarter-deck  until 
he  should  get  sober,  where  his  meals  were  sent  him,  only  to 
be  thrown  overboard  in  presence  of  the  officers,  and  he 
finally  became  so  mutinous  that  he  was  placed  in  irons. 
Rynard  treated  his  confinement  with  derision,  saying  his 
time  w^as  out  and  he  wanted  his  discharge.  The  Captain 
determined  to  grant  this  man's  wish,  and  his  papers  were 
therefore  made  out  at  once,  and  he  was  sent  on  board  the 
Seringapatam,  until  she  should  have  an  opportunity  of 
landing  him  in  some  port.  Rynard's  discharge  produced 
a  remarkably  good  effect,   restoring  the   crew   to   their 


Memoik  of  Commodoke  David  Porter.         165 

senses  ;  and  those  who  had  shown  themselves  most  discon- 
tented, now  set  the  example  of  good  behavior.  There  was 
never  any  further  trouble  of  this  kind,  and  thus,  a  case 
which  threatened  to  lead  to  serious  results,  was  so  judi- 
ciously treated  that  it  produced  in  the  end  an  excellent 
result. 

On  the  30th,  the  Essex  Jr.  was  signalled  from  a  flagstaff 
erected  on  the  summit  of  a  hill  near  the  landing,  and 
Lieut.  Downes  was  soon  alongside  the  Essex  in  his  boat. 
The  Essex  Jr.  brought  the  news  of  Mr.  Madison's  reelec- 
tion to  the  presidency,  and  the  most  gratifying  accounts 
of  the  success  of  the  navy  in  every  instance  where  our 
ships  had  encountered  vessels  of  equal  force.  Letters  from 
the  American  consul  at  Buenos  Ayres,  informed  Capt. 
Porter  that  on  the  5th  of  July,  the  British  frigate  Phoebe 
36,  and  the  sloops  of  war  Raccoon  and  Cherub,  each  of  24 
guns,  had  sailed  from  Rio  de  Janeiro  for  the  Pacific  in 
pursuit  of  the  Essex.  Several  British  merchant  ships  were 
also  expected  at  Valparaiso  with  valuable  cargoes,  and 
Lieut.  Downes  reported  having  left  one  in  that  port  when 
he  sailed.  The  Policy  had  been  sent  to  the  United  States, 
and  the  other  prizes  safely  moored  in  Valparaiso.  The 
only  British  whaleship  now  known  in  the  Pacific  was  the 
Comet,  and  she  was  laid  up  in  Concepcion  ;  so  Porter  de- 
termined to  proceed  to  the  Marquesas,  and  try  and  capture 
the  British  ship  left  by  Downes  at  Valparaiso,  which  would 
no  doubt  stop  there  on  her  way  to  India.  On  the  2d 
of  October,  the  Essex  got  underway  and  stood  out  to  sea. 

Prior  to  leaving,  Rynard,  the  man  whose  discharge  from 
service  has  been  mentioned,  was,  at  his  own  most  urgent 
request  seconded  by  Lieut.  Downes,  placed  on  the  books 
of  the  Essex  Jr.,  as  a  seaman,  for  Porter  would  not  consent 
to  have  him  on  board  the  frigate  again,  under  any  circum- 
stances. This  episode  of  Rynard  is  mentioned  to  illustrate 
Porter's  method  of  dealing  with  seamen,  whose  character 
he  thoroughly  understood,  under  the  most  difficult  circum- 
stances. He  was  thousands  of  miles  from  his  country,  with 
a  crew  liable  to  be  so  influenced  by  bad  example,  as  to 
endanger  the  success  of  the  cruise  and  even  the  safety  of 
the  vessel.  Some  of  his  crew  were  foreigners,  with  no 
attachment  to  the  flag  beyond  the  hope  of  sharing  in  the 


166         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

prize  money,  accruing  from  the  numerous  captures. 
This  was  the  only  case  of  the  kind  that  occurred; 
and  it  was  checked,  not  by  severe  punishment,  which  it 
really  merited,  but  by  that  cool,  judicious  conduct,  which 
should  characterize  a  naval  commander,  and  which  is  so 
necessary  in  dealing  with  sailors. 

Captain  Porter  had  now  broken  up,  completely,  the  im- 
portant British  whale  fishery  in  the  Pacific  ;  all  the  vessels 
were  captured,  except  the  Comet,  and  she  was  laid  up.  By 
these  captures  the  enemy  had  lost  nearly  three  millions 
of  dollars,  and  in  a  shape  that  would  go  farther  towards 
touching  the  English  heart  than  if  the  same  amount  had 
been  taken  in  ships  of  war.  Three  hundred  and  sixteen 
seamen  had  been  paroled,  not  to  serve  against  the  United 
States  until  regularly  exchanged,  and  six  letters-of-marque 
had  been  prevented  from  carrying  destruction  to  our 
whaling  interests.  But  two  of  our  whaleships  had  been 
captured,  and  that  occured  before  the  arrival  of  the  Essex. 
As  soon  as  the  arrival  of  the  frigate  in  the  Pacific  was 
known,  the  American  whaleships,  which  had  taken  refuge 
in  South  American  ports,  immediately  put  to  sea  and  re- 
commenced their  operations;  and  Lieut.  Downes  gave 
four  of  these  ships,  with  full  cargoes,  convoy  from  Valpar- 
aiso, when  he  left  that  port,  until  they  considered  them- 
selves safe  from  British  cruisers. 

The  policy  of  the  British  in  arming  their  merchant  ships 
with  authority  to  cruise  against  the  commerce  of  an  enemy 
may  have  answered  very  well  for  the  time,  but  in  future  is 
likely  to  react  upon  Great  Britain.  Weak  nations  are 
obliged  to  adopt  the  system  of  privateering  to  protect 
themselves  against  the  strong ;  and  it  is  a  privilege  they 
should  never  surrender :  but  there  is  a  degree  of  infamy  in 
setting  one  merchant  ship  to  prey  upon  another,  which  no 
circumstances  can  justify.  It  seems  strange  that  Great 
Britain,  in  the  19th  century,  should  ever  have  tolerated 
such  a  system  of  legalized  piracy,  which  little  accords  with 
her  reputation  for  justice  and  humanity. 


Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter.  167 


CHAPTER  XL 

A.T  the  time  when  the  Essex  was  running  her  career 
in  the  Pacific,  the  numerous  groups  of  islands  scattered 
throughout  the  great  ocean  were  very  imperfectly  known, 
and  their  inhabitants  as  yet  uncontaminated  by  the  vices  of 
civilization,  were  a  far  more  interesting  people  than  at  the 
present  day.  The  islands  were,  then,  merely  stopping 
places  for  whalers,  or  vessels  on  their  way  to  the  N.  W. 
coast,  or  to  India,  in  search  of  wood  and  water,  and  such 
refreshments  as  the  country  afforded.  The  commanders 
of  these  vessels  were  generally  more  interested  in  the 
objects  of  their  voyage,  than  in  the  savages  of  the  South 
sea,  whom  they  considered  of  no  importance,  and  with 
whom  they  had  as  little  intercourse  as  possible  in  order  to 
guard  against  their  treachery.  From  the  visits  and  sur- 
veys of  government  expeditions,  and  from  the  missionaries 
who  have  labored  among  these  heathen  for  so  many  years, 
we  now  possess  a  very  accurate  knowledge  of  the  subject. 
The  islanders  have  changed  very  much  within  the  last 
sixty  years,  and  with  the  loss  of  much  of  their  savage  char- 
acter they  have  laid  aside  many  noble  traits  while  retain- 
ing all  their  original  cunning.  The  islands  which  were 
formerly  considered  of  no  value,  except  as  stopping  places 
for  traders,  are  now  attracting  the  attention  of  the  great 
powers,  which  have  great  commercial  interests  to  protect, 
and  require  depots  for  their  ships  of  war,  from  whence  they 
can  swoop  down  upon  their  enemies,  or  gather  for  protec- 
tion their  numerous  merchant  vessels ;  they  are  also  stop- 
ping places  for  lines  of  steamers,  which  are  circling  the 
earth  in  every  direction.  The  early  accounts  then  of  these 
islands,  when  written  by  persons  of  observation,  should 
be  exceedingly  interesting  to  us  of  the  present  day. 

After  leaving  the  Galapagos,  abandoning  his  intention  to 
search  for  a  group  of  islands  said  to  have  been  discovered 
by  the  Spaniards  near  the  equator,  but  which  have  since 


168         Memoir  of  Commodore  David.  Porter. 

been  found  not  to  exist,  Captain  Porter  steered  direct  for 
the  Washington  islands,  sending  the  Essex  Jr.  to  the  Mar- 
quesas, in  the  hope  of  intercepting  there  the  EngUsh  ship 
bound  to  India,  which  that  officer  had  left  in  Valparaiso. 

The  little  squadron  pursued  its  way  through  the  smooth 
ocean,  with  pleasant  weather,  with  nothing  to  vary  the 
monotony  of  the  voyage ;  and  as  it  was  necessary  to  pre- 
vent, if  possible,  that  listlessness  and  apathy  into  which 
men  on  ship  board  are  too  apt  to  fall,  Capt.  Porter  issued 
the  following  communication  to  his  crew,  and  those  who 
know  the  disposition  of  sailors  may  readily  imagine  the 
effect  which  it  produced. 

"  We  are  bound  to  the  Western  islands  with  two  objects  in  view : 
First,  that  we  may  put  the  ship  in  a  suitable  condition  to  enable 
us  to  take  advantage  of  the  most  favorable  season  for  our  return 
home  :  Secondly,  I  am  desirous  that  you  should  have  some  relaxa- 
tion and  amusement  after  being  so  long  at  sea,  as  from  your  late 
good  conduct  you  deserve  it. 

We  are  going  among  a  people  much  addicted  to  thieving,  trea- 
cherous in  their  proceedings,  whose  conduct  is  governed  only  by 
fear  and  regulated  by  views  to  their  interest.  We  must  put  nothing 
in  their  power ;  be  ever  on  our  guard,  and  prevent  by  every  means 
that  can  be  used,  disputes  and  difficulties  with  them;  we  must  treat 
them  with  kindness  but  never  trust  them,  and  be  most  vigilant 
where  there  is  the  greatest  appearance  of  friendship.  Let  the  fate 
of  the  many  who  have  been  cut  off  by  the  savages  of  the  South  sea 
islands  be  a  useful  warning  to  us. 

It  will  require  much  discretion  and  good  management  to  keep  up 
a  friendly  intercourse  with  them ;  and  in  the  regulations  that  I  shall 
lay  down  for  this  object,  I  shall  expect  the  hearty  concurrence  of 
every  person  under  my  command. 

Disputes  are  most  likely  to  arise  from  traffic  with  them :  there- 
fore to  prevent  these  I  shall  appoint  a  vessel  for  the  express  purpose 
of  trading,  and  shall  select  an  officer  and  four  men  to  conduct  all 
exchanges  ;  and  every  other  person  is  positively  forbid  to  traffic  with 
the  natives,  except  through  the  persons  so  selected  to  conduct  the 
trade. 

No  canoes  or  male  natives  will  be  permitted  to  come  along-side 
the  Essex,  or  any  other  vessel,  except  the  trading  ship,  on  any  ac- 
count, unless  it  may  be  the  chiefs  whom  I  may  designate.  And  if 
every  person  exerts  themselves  to  carry  on  the  work  of  the  ship,  as 
well  as  to  enforce  the  above  regulations  and  such  others  as  I  may 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  169 

from  time  to  time  adopt,  I  shall  allow  you  time  to  amuse  yourselves 
on  shore;  but  this  indulgence  shall  cease  the  moment  I  discover  any 
relaxation  in  vigilance  or  industry. 

(Signed)        D.  Porter. 
U.  S.  Frigate  Essex,  Oct.,  1813. 

This  note,  after  being  read  at  the  mainmast,  was  handed 
round  among  the  crew  and  great  were  the  anticipations  of 
the  sailors  of  the  pleasures  that  were  in  store  for  them. 
It  will  be  seen  by  the  above,  that  although  disposed  , to 
communicate  familiarly  with  his  men,  yet  Capt.  Porter 
was  determined  to  indulge  them  in  a  way  that  should  not 
weaken  the  discipline  of  the  ship,  and  thus  risk  her  de- 
struction. 

At  noon  on  the  23d  of  October,  1813,  land  was  dis- 
covered bearing  S.  W.,  and  supposed  to  be  the  Hood's 
island  of  Captain  Cook.  It  was  a  lump  of  rock  destitute 
of  verdure  and  about  three  miles  in  circuit.  After  making 
this  island,  which  is  the  most  northerly  of  the  Marquesas, 
Porter  hove  to  for  the  prizes  to  come  up,  and  then  steered 
to  the  northward  for  the  island  of  Rooahooga,  one  of  the 
Washington  group  (about  600  miles  ]^.  E.  of  Tahiti),  dis- 
covered by  Capt.  Ingraham  of  the  brig  Hope  of  Boston, 
April  19th,  1791,  and  called  the  Washington  islands  by 
Capt.  Roberts,  of  the  Jefferson  of  Boston,  who  visited  them 
March  6th,  1793. 

On  the  morning  of  the  24th  the  island  of  Rooahooga, 
called  by  Porter  Adams's  island,  was  seen,  resembling  at  a 
distance  the  desolate  Galapagos ;  but,  on  a  nearer  approach, 
beautiful  valleys  watered  by  running  •  streams  and  dotted 
with  habitations,  with  groups  of  natives  on  the  hills  inviting 
them  to  land,  gave  our  voyagers  a  very  different  idea  oi 
the  place,  and  made  them  long  to  set  their  feet  upon  that 
fertile  shore.  A  canoe  shortly  approached  the  Essex  con- 
taining eight  natives,  one  of  whom  seated  in  the  bow  had 
his  head  ornamented  with  yellow  leaves,  ^o  persuasions 
could  induce  them  to  come  on  board,  although  they  were 
offered  pieces  of  iron,  fish  hooks  and  other  articles  which 
savages  value.  By  means  of  a  Tahitan  on  board  Capt. 
Porter  was  enabled  to  communicate  with  the  islanders, 
and  they  were  finally  induced  to  accept  some  small  pre- 
sents, which  were  let  down  to  them  over  the  stern  in  a 
22 


170        Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

bucket;  which  they  reciprocated  by  sending  up  a  few 
fish  and  a  belt  made  of  cocoanut  fibres  ornamented  with 
hog's  teeth.  They  frequently  repeated  the  word  Taya 
(friend),  and  invited  the  Americans  on  shore ;  assuring 
them  by  the  most  expressive  gesticulations,  that  they  should 
receive  a  hearty  welcome.  These  islanders  were  entirely 
naked,  but  their  bodies  were  marked  in  every  direction 
with  fanciful  lines  of  tattooing.  They  were  much  attracted 
by  the  sight  of  some  whale's  teeth,  which  is  a  remarkable 
feature  in  the  character  of  all  the  islanders  of  the  Pacific, 
and  even  as  late  as  1874,  one  of  the  chiefs  of  the  Tonga 
islands  who  had  made  a  treaty  with  an  officer  of  the  navy, 
sent  a  whale's  tooth  to  the  president  as  the  highest  mark 
of  his  esteem. 

By  this  time  numbers  of  other  canoes  had  put  off  from 
the  coves  with  which  the  coast  was  indented,  but  none  of 
them  could  be  induced  to  come  alongside,  until  at  length 
the  Captain  ordered  two  boats  to  be  manned  (into  one  of 
which  he  entered),  and  proceeded  towards  the  natives,  di- 
recting the  Tahitan  interpreter  to  inform  them  that  the 
visitors  were  friends  who  wished  to  purchase  provisions , 
and  that  those  in  the  boats  would  proceed  to  the  shore  and 
remain  as  hostages,  while  they  visited  the  ship.  Accord- 
ingly part  of  the  natives  went  on  board  the  frigate  but  the 
greater  number  followed  the  Americans  to  the  shore,  where 
the  inhabitants  now  began  to  assemble  from  all  quarters 
armed  with  clubs  and  spears.  Although  both  his  boats' 
crews  were  well  armed,  yet  Capt.  Porter  did  not  think  it 
advisable  to  put  it  in  the  power  of  the  natives  to  attack 
him ;  and,  consequently,  directed  Lieut.  McKnight,  who 
was  in  charge  of  one  of  the  boats,  to  lie  outside  the  heavy 
line  of  breakers  which  beat  upon  the  beach,  while  he  went 
close  in  with  his  own  boat,  and  trafficked  with  the  natives 
for  their  ornaments  and  fruit ;  in  a  few  moments  the  latter 
laid  aside  their  weapons  and  swam  off  in  swarms  to  the  boat 
loaded  with  provisions,  and  almost  crazy  with  excitement 
at  the  idea  of  procuring  such  a  valuable  article  as  a  piece 
of  iron  hoop,  in  exchange  for  such  a  trifle  as  a  good  sized 

pig- 

These  savages  seemed  to  be  very  much  like  children  : 
in  one  instance  two  fish  hooks  were  given  to  divide  among 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  171 

three  of  them  to  see  how  they  would  act.  They  all  agreed 
to  the  exchange,  but  on  the  hooks  being  delivered  one  of 
them  ran  off  with  his  bread  fruit  in  high  glee  at  the  trick 
he  had  played,  probably  thinking  it  would  be  easier  to 
divide  two  hooks  between  two  persons  than  among  three ; 
the  others  pretended  to  be  angry,  and  signified  to  the  Cap- 
tain that  he  should  pursue  and  beat  the  offender,  which 
they  were  directed  to  do  themselves,  and  they  went  through 
the  motions  pretty  much  as  young  children  would  have 
done  under  the  circumstances. 

N"otwithstanding  the  friendly  intercourse  that  was  kept 
up,  it  was  evident  that  the  natives  were  very  suspicious  of 
the  Americans,  always  approaching  the  boat  with  awe  and 
agitation.  Their  want  of  confidence  produced  a  corre- 
sponding suspicion  on  the  other  side,  and  even  if  the  surf 
had  not  made  landing  difficult  it  would  have  been  deemed 
prudent  to  keep  ofl*  the  shore.  One  native,  bolder  than  his 
companions,  tried  to  obtain  possession  of  a  pistol  which  he 
saw  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  he 
could  be  made  to  understand  that  his  wishes  would  not  be 
gratified.  Pointing  the  pistol  at  him  instead  of  frightening 
him  produced  the  greatest  joy,  as  he  immediately  stretched 
out  his  hand  to  receive  it ;  whence  it  was  supposed  that 
the  natives  were  ignorant  of  fire  arms. 

After  remaining  with  these  people  for  a  couple  of  hours, 
Captain  Porter  visited  a  small  cove  to  the  leeward,  where 
were  assembled  about  fifty  natives,  including  three  women. 
Some  of  the  men  were  highly  ornamented  with  plumes  of 
black  feathers,  large  gorgets,  and  a  kind  of  white  cloak 
made  of  the  fibres  of  the  cocoanut  tree.  Each  held  a  hand- 
some white  fan,  as  a  mark  of  distinction,  and  had  tufts  of 
human  hair  bound  round  their  wrists,  their  ancles  and 
loins.  They  had  large  white  oval  ornaments  apparently 
intended  as  false  ears,  with  shells  and  whale's  teeth  hung 
around  their  necks,  presenting  altogether  a  picturesque  and 
elegant  appearance.  Capt.  Porter  gave  the  person,  whom 
he  supposed  to  be  the  chief,  to  understand  that  his  object  was 
to  trade,  showing  at  the  same  time  some  fish  hooks,  hoops, 
and  knives,  the  sight  of  which  seemed  to  fill  the  natives 
with  joy,  and  they  pointed  out  as  their  chief  an  ancient  in- 
dividual, entirely  naked  with  the  exception  of  a  piece  of 


172  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

cloth  about  his  loins,  and  a  fillet  of  palm  leaves  about  his 
head.  Upon  a  signal  from  this  person  the  other  natives 
threw  aside  their  dress  and  ornaments  and  swam  to  the  boat 
where  each  was  given  a  small  present  of  inestimable  value 
to  them,  no  doubt,  as  they  oiFered  to  give  their  women 
in  return,  two  of  whom  were  handsome  young  girls. 

The  Americans  were  much  impressed  with  the  noble 
appearance  of  these  islanders,  the  men  being  remarkable 
for  their  strength  and  stature,  and  for  forms  which  emulate 
those  of  the  Greek  sculptors.  One  of  the  chiefs  measured 
6  feet  8  inches  in  height,  and  another  was  said  to  be  six 
inches  taller  even  than  this.  The  elaborate  tattooing  of 
the  Washington  islanders  is  perhaps  the  finest  in  the 
world,  but  is  generally  confined  to  the  men  ;  the  women 
contenting  themselves  with  a  bracelet  or  two,  or  other 
simple  ornament  tattooed  on  their  arms  or  elsewhere.  The 
tattooing  of  a  female,  particularly  if  she  has  a  rich  husband, 
is  generally  made  an  occasion  of  rejoicing;  a  pig  is  killed 
for  the  entertainment  of  the  invited  guests,  and  warm  con- 
gratulations extended  to  the  wife  for  the  affection  shown 
by  her  devoted  husband. 

The  Americans,  thus  far,  could  not  complahi  of  their 
reception  by  the  natives ;  and  any  distrust  shown  by  the 
latter,  was  due,  no  doubt,  to  their  experience  of  treachery 
at  the  hands  of  early  navigators. 

On  their  return  to  the  ship,  the  sailors  had  wonderful 
stories  to  relate  of  the  great  dignitaries  and  beautiful 
houris  they  had  seen  on  shore  ;  and  great  was  the  expect- 
ations raised  when  they  should  find  a  harbor  where  they 
could  let  go  their  anchor.  The  natives  who  visited  the 
ship  were  so  delighted  with  their  reception,  that  one  of 
them  said  he  longed  to  get  on  shore  that  he  might  dance ; 
which  seems  to  be,  the  world  over,  the  usual  mode  of  testi- 
fying extreme  delight. 

The  goats,  sheep,  dogs,  and  other  animals,  attracted  great 
attention  from  the  natives,  but  the  Galapagos  turtles  were 
universally  allowed  to  be  the  most  extraordinary  of  quad- 
rupeds, and  as  is  their  custom  when  they  wish  to  feast  their 
eyes  on  some  unusual  sight,  the  visitors  stretched  themselves 
at  full  length  on  the  deck,  and  gazed  intently  on  the  un- 
wieldy creatures.     Their  fondness  for  a  recumbent  position 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         173 

could  hardly  be  taken  as  a  proof  of  indolence,  since  these 
islanders  are  capable  of  the  most  extraordinary  exertions 
in  paddling  their  canoes,  and  climbing  about  the  rocks 
and  hills.  The  young  girls  seen  at  Adams's  island  were 
well  formed  and  handsome,  with  smooth  skins  and  a  com- 
plexion not  darker  than  our  American  brunettes  ;  but  this 
rose  colored  view  of  the  situation  may  have  been  due  to 
the  fact  that  our  people  had  not  seen  any  women  for  a 
loDg  time,  and  sailors  just  from  sea  look  upon  all  women 
as  angels.  Although  these  women  were  as  destitute  of 
clothing  as  the  inhabitants  of  Paradise,  yet  their  actions 
were  entirely  modest;  and  if  they  seemed  to  sacrifice  this 
latter  quality  in  being  presented  to  strangers  in  a  state  of 
nudity,  it  must  be  remembered  that  they  came  forward 
with  evident  reluctance,  and,  no  doubt,  in  compliance 
with  their  native  virtue,  hospitality. 

On  the  approach  of  evening,  the  Essex  and  her  prizes 
made  sail  for  the  island  of  N'ookaheevah,  thirty  miles  distant 
from  Adams's  island,  and  next  morning  came  to  anchor  in 
30  fathoms  water,  at  the  mouth  of  Port  Anna  Maria, 
called  by  Porter  Massachusetts  bay,  a  fine  harbor  four 
miles  in  depth  and  wide  enough  for  a  frigate  to  manoeuvre 
in.  Here  the  Essex  awaited  a  favorable  wind  to  enter  the 
bay  with  her  prizes. 

Soon  after  anchoring,  a  canoe  approached  the  frigate 
containing  three  white  men,  one  of  whom  was  tattooed  all 
over  the  body,  and  had  nothing  but  a  piece  of  cloth  around 
his  loins.  As  these  men  were  supposed  to  be  deserters 
from  some  vessel,  they  were  forbidden  to  come  along-side, 
or  to  hold  any  intercourse  with  the  crew ;  and  Capt.  Porter 
was  much  vexed  at  the  prospect  of  having  to  deal  with 
the  sort  of  characters  he  supposed  these  men  to  be,  fore- 
seeing nothing  but  trouble  from  their  influence.  The 
white  men  paddled  back  to  the  shore,  joined  by  all  the 
natives  who  were  intending  to  come  on  board.  The  na- 
tives now  began  to  assemble  on  the  beach  in  considerable 
numbers,  armed  with  spears,  and  war  clubs;  and  the 
captain  saw  that  he  had  been  rather  too  hasty  in  dealing 
w^ith  the  white  men,  since  it  was  possible  they  might  frus- 
trate all  his  intentions  of  establishing  friendly  relations 
with  the  natives ;  and  to  arrange  matters  as  soon  as  possi- 


174  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

ble,  he  proceeded  to  the  scene  in  person  with  four  boats 
well  manned  and  armed. 

On  landing,  no  person  was  to  be  seen  on  the  beach,  ex- 
cept a  white  man  who  came  forward  and  reported  himself 
as  Mr.  John  M.  Maury,  midshipman  in  the  United  States 
navy.  This  was  a  strange  place  to  fall  in  with  a  midship- 
man, but  the  latter  explained  it  by  saying  that  he  had  left 
the  United  States  on  furlough  with  Lieut.  Lewis  for  Canton, 
from  which  place  he  had  sailed  for  the  island  to  procure 
sandal  wood.  Lewis,  after  procuring  his  cargo,  had  re- 
turned to  Canton,  leaving  Mr.  Maury  to  collect  a  fresh 
stock.  Lewis  should  have  been  back  two  months  before, 
but  the  news  of  the  war  with  England  (brought  by  the 
Essex)  destroyed  all  hope  of  seeing  him  again,  and  Maury, 
applied  to  be  taken  on  board  the  frigate.  The  naked 
white  man  was  one  Wilson,  an  Englishman,  who  had  been 
many  years  in  the  Marquesas,  and  had  become  an  Indian 
in  all  respects  except  color.  He  was  apparently  a  good- 
hearted  fellow,  whose  only  failing  was  fondness  for  rum  ; 
and  his  knowledge  of  the  language,  manners,  &c.,  of  the 
natives  made  him  exceedingly  useful  to  the  captain  of  the 
Essex;  and  all  subsequent  interviews,  conversations,  &c., 
with  the  natives  were  carried  on  through  this  man  as  in- 
terpreter. 

On  Captain  Porter  walking  up  to  a  group  of  natives, 
unattended,  all  their  apprehensions  seemed  to  be  removed  ; 
the  women  now  came  forward,  and  all  the  islanders  were 
much  pleased  with  the  music  of  the  drum,  and  the  regular 
movements  of  the  marines,  who  were  exercised  on  the 
beach  for  their  benefit.  The  soldiers  were  looked  upon  as 
spirits,  or  different  from  ordinary  men ;  and  though  the 
firing  of  the  muskets  caused  the  women  to  stop  their  ears, 
yet  they  did  not  seem  terrified.  The  distribution  of  knives 
and  fish  hooks  excited  pleasure,  but  nothing  was  offered  in 
return  as  at  Adams's  island. 

The  Captain  was  now  informed  that  the  Happahs,  a 
tribe  living  in  the  island  beyond  the  mountains,  had  made 
war  on  the  N'ookaheevans  and  had  destroyed  many  of 
their  houses,  plantations,  and  bread  fruit  trees ;  and  in  order 
to  ingratiate  himself  in  their  good  graces  he  sent  word  to 
the  Happahs  that  if  they  dared  to  make  a  hostile  incursion 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         175 

into  the  valley  while  the  Americans  remained,  that  he 
would  send  a  body  of  men  to  chastise  them  ;  but  that  the 
Happahs  could  come  and  trade  freely  with  the  Americans, 
who  would  take  care  that  they  were  not  molested  by  the 
people  of  the  valley.  Captain  Porter  then  informed  the 
valley  people  (who  were  much  pleased  with  his  action 
towards  the  Happahs),  that  he  wanted  nothing  but  what  he 
was  willing  to  pay  for ;  that  the  Americans  were  their 
friends  and  would  protect  them,  and  that  they  must  leave 
their  weapons  at  home  in  order  not  to  be  mistaken  for 
hostile  Happahs ;  for  all  who  appeared  in  arms  would  be 
treated  as  enemies. 

While  all  this  pow-wow  was  in  progress,  a  handsome 
young  woman  of  about  18  years  appeared  upon  the  scene. 
She  was  of  fair  complexion  and  neatly  attired,  her  skin 
and  glossy  black  hair  anointed  with  cocoa  nut  oil,  her  car- 
riage majestic  ;  and  her  whole  appearance  striking  in  the 
extreme.  This  was  Piteenee,  granddaughter  to  Gattanewa 
the  chief  of  the  valley,  and  she  received  the  attentions 
which  Capt.  Porter  thought  it  necessary  to  show  her,  with 
the  hauteur  of  a  princess  ;  yet,  notwithstanding  her  royal 
airs,  this  lady  soon  after  formed  a  connexion  with  one  of 
the  officers  of  the  Essex,  which  lasted  as  long  as  the  Ame- 
ricans remained  in  the  island,  though  with  little  fidelity  on 
her  part.  It  must  not  be  supposed  that  all  the  women 
were  as  handsome  as  Piteenee,  many  of  them  are  described 
as  undersized,  awkward  and  ugly,  so  that  a  stranger  can 
hardly  realize  that  they  belong  to  the  same  race  as  the  tall 
and  fine  looking  men  who  are  everywhere  met  with  on 
the  islands.  There  is  a  striking  difference  between  the 
upper  and  lower  classes.  The  aristocracy  have  fairer  com- 
plexions, and  take  great  pains  to  prevent  being  sun  burned ; 
but  when  this  misfortune  does  overtake  them,  they  have  a 
process  of  bleaching  their  skins,  which  is  so  tedious  that 
nothing  but  the  most  overweening  vanity  could  tempt 
them  to  make  use  of  it.  A  Marquesas  woman,  after  under- 
going this  process,  and  assuming  her  costume  of  bark  cloth 
and  adorning  her  hair  with  plumes,  and  her  hands,  arms 
and  feet  with  ornaments,  presents  a  very  striking  appear- 
ance. 

Captain  Porter  was  informed  that  Gattanewa,  the  chief, 


176         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

was  holding  out  against  the  Happahs,  having  two  hill 
forts  garrisoned,  which  commanded  the  passes  leading 
into  the  valley.  The  manner  of  fortifying,  was  to  place 
close  together,  on  end,  the  bodies  of  large  trees,  forming  a 
breastwork  that  would  defy  almost  anything  except  artil- 
lery, and  from  behind  these  breastworks  the  defenders 
showered  heavy  stones  upon  an  attacking  force. 

Captain  Porter  now  returned  to  the  Essex  to  await  the 
return  of  the  chief,  who  had  been  notified  of  his  arrival ; 
and,  while  waiting  his  coming,  the  ship  was  warped  into 
the  bay  and  anchored  at  the  bottom  of  the  harbor  within 
half  a  mile  of  the  white  sandy  beach. 

The  Essex  junior  hove  in  sight  while  these  operations 
were  progressing,  and  Lieut.  Downes  reported  that  he  had 
not  heard  anything  of  the  British  ship,  of  which  he  went 
in  pursuit,  and  that  she  had  probably  returned  home  to 
escape  capture.  'Next  day  all  the  prizes  and  the  Essex 
junior  were  moored  near  the  frigate  in  one  of  the  best 
of  harbors. 

After  the  ship  was  moored,  the  natives  flocked  to  the 
beach  in  large  numbers,  the  women  waving  their  white 
cloaks  as  an  invitation  to  visit  them.  Captain  Porter 
found  it  impossible  to  resist  the  importunities  with  which 
he  was  beset,  and  consequently  the  boats  were  sent  on 
shore  and  were  immediately  filled  with  women,  who  in- 
sisted on  visiting  the  ship.  While  on  board,  the  natives 
were  presented  with  fish  hooks,  pieces  of  iron  hoops,  and 
glass  bottles  —  articles  to  them  of  inestimable  value  —  and 
they  went  on  shore  highly  pleased  with  the  gallantry  of 
their  nautical  admirers.  As  for  the  sailors,  they  were  as 
much  delighted  as  the  natives,  and  the  ship  was  a  scene 
of  merriment  such  as  is  very  uncommon  in  a  man-of-war. 
It  was  found  that,  of  all  things  on  earth,  these  natives 
chiefly  valued  whales'  teeth;  and  it  is  asserted,  that  for  ten 
of  these  a  ship  could  have  been  loaded  with  sandal  wood 
at  [N'ookaheevah,  a  cargo  worth,  in  Canton,  nearly  a  million 
of  dollars. 

While  deliberating  on  a  place  for  an  encampment  prior 
to  commencing  repairs  on  the  Essex,  Gattanewa  arrived 
from  the  mountains  and  was  presented  with  a  fine  English 
sow,  by  Captain  Porter,  an  attention  which  was  highly 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         177 

appreciated  by  the  chief,  who  was  anxious  to  improve  the 
island  breed  of  swine.  When  Gattanewa  came  on  board 
the  Essex,  Capt.  Porter  was  astonished  to  see  an  infirm 
old  fellow  of  about  seventy,  and  without  other  covering 
than  a  cloth  around  his  loins,  and  a  palm  leaf  tied  about 
his  head.  He  was  as  black  as  a  negro,  from  tattooing,  and 
his  skiu  was  peeling  oft'  from  the  quantity  of  kava  (an  in- 
toxicating root)  in  which  he  indulged  himself.  Wishing 
to  impress  the  chief  with  an  idea  of  his  power.  Captain 
Porter  had  all  the  crew  assembled,  and  the  great  guns 
fired,  but  his  highness  paid  little  attention  to  the  proceed- 
ings, beyond  stopping  his  ears  at  the  report.  In  fact,  this 
distinguished  man  was  very  drunk  with  kava,  and  was 
only  roused  from  his  lethargy  when  the  Captain  showed 
him  some  of  the  precious  whales'  teeth  ;  and  he  was  made 
unspeakably  happy  when  Porter  presented  him  with  one 
of  those  valuable  articles,  saying  that  there  w^as  nothing 
else  in  the  ship  that  he  w^anted.  Before  going  on  shore 
Gattanewa  exchanged  names  with  Captain  Porter,  and 
begged  his  assistance  in  the  war  against  the  Happahs;  but 
the  Captain  informed  him,  that  unless  the  Happahs  were 
the  aggressors  he  should  not  interfere  with  them.  This 
did  not  satisfy  Gattanewa,  who  told  him  that  the  Happahs 
had  cursed  his  mother's  bones,  and  that  the  Captain  and 
himself  having  exchanged  names,  his  mother  was  now  the 
Captain's  mother  also. 

The  chief,  on  his  return  to  the  shore,  sent  oft*  several 
boat  loads  of  hogs,  cocoa  nuts,  and  plantains,  which  were 
distributed  among  the  different  vessels. 

The  ship  was  now  hauled  close  into  the  beach,  an  enclos- 
ure was  formed  on  shore  with  casks,  inside  of  which  a  large 
tent  was  pitched,  and  everything  was  removed  to  the  shore 
preparatory  to  making  the  necessary  repairs.  In  the  mean- 
time, the  predatory  Happahs,  in  spite  of  the  warning  they 
had  received  from  Captain  Porter,  made  another  incursion 
into  the  valley  and  destroyed  some  two  hundred  bread  fruit 
trees,  but  on  the  firing  of  guns  from  the  frigate  they  re- 
treated to  the  mountains.  Soon  after  this  event,  the  Hap- 
pahs sent  word  to  Capt.  Porter  that  as  the  Americans 
were  all  cowards,  they  should  soon  visit  his  camp  and  carry 
oft'  the  sails ;  and,  thinking  it  highly  probable  that  the 
23 


178         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

natives  might  attempt  to  put  their  threat  into  execution,  he 
ordered  one-fourth  of  all  his  available  force  to  be  landed, 
every  evening,  as  a  guard  for  the  camp;  a  tent  being 
erected  for  his  own  use  at  a  point  where  he  could  see 
all  that  was  going  on.  With  a  view  to  frighten  the  Hap- 
pahs  and  prevent  any  more  of  their  troublesome  incursions, 
Capt.  Porter  determined  to  give  them  some  idea  of  the 
power  of  his  guns  ;  and  he  informed  Gattanewa  that  if  he 
would  set  his  people  at  work  to  carry  a  six  pounder  to  the 
top  of  the  mountains,  a  force  should  be  sent  along  to  work 
it  and  drive  away  his  enemies.  To  this  the  chief  readily 
consented,  and  the  gun  was  accordingly  landed  and  fired  a 
few  times  over  the  water,  for  the  edification  of  the  native 
spectators.  They  were  astonished  at  the  length  of  time 
the  shot  remained  in  mid  air,  and  delighted  at  seeing  the 
ball  skip  along  the  surface  of  the  water  ;  and  after  embrac- 
ing and  fondling  the  gun  for  some  time,  they  slung  it  be- 
tween two  poles,  and,  to  the  surprise  of  the  Americans, 
trudged  ofl'with  perfect  ease  to  the  mountain. 

Meanwhile,  repairs  were  busily  prosecuted  on  board  the 
Essex ;  the  ship  was  caulked,  and  a  new  supply  of  water 
casks  set  up,  the  old  ones  being  unfit  for  use  ;  everybody 
was  kept  busy  until  4  p.  m.  each  day,  after  which  the  time 
was  devoted  to  amusement  and  repose,  and  one-fourth  of 
the  crew  allowed  to  remain  on  shore  until  daylight  next 
morning.  An  oven  was  constructed  on  shore  and  fresh 
bread  served  out  daily  to  all  hands.  Everything  was  pro- 
gressing favorably,  but  the  salt  provisions  were  nearly  ex- 
pended, and  fish  could  not  be  caught  here  with  a  seine,  nor 
could  a  sufficient  quantity  of  hogs  be  procured  from  the 
natives,  owing  to  a  scarcity  in  the  valley,  to  issue  pork  as 
a  ration  to  the  crew. 

The  day  after  the  departure  of  the  gun  for  the  mountains, 
Mouina,  chief  warrior  of  the  valley  tribe,  was  introduced 
to  Captain  Porter.  He  was  a  tall,  fine  looking  young  man, 
with  an  intelligent  countenance,  and  he  made  a  very  favor- 
able impression  on  the  Americans.  He  had  left  the  other 
warriors  at  the  fortified  camp,  and  requested  that  a  bouU 
(musket)  might  be  fired,  as  he  wished  to  see  its  effect. 
Several  Happahs  were  about  the  camp,  for,  notwithstand- 
ing the  bitter  war  that  existed,  certain  privileged  persons 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  179 

were  permitted  to  come  and  go  freely  on  both  sides.  To 
show  these  individuals  the  folly  of  attempting  to  contend 
with  clubs  and  spears  against  firearms,  a  musket  was  fired 
at  a  mark,  to  show  that  a  man  could  seldom  be  missed ; 
and  a  water  cask  was  riddled  by  a  volley  from  the  marines. 

Mouina  was  much  impressed  with  the  effect  of  the  mus- 
ketry, but  the  obstinate  Happahs  said  that  the  bouhis 
could  not  harm  them ;  that  they  would  try  the  effect  of  a 
battle,  and  if  defeated  would  be  willing  to  make  peace ;  but 
the  Captain  informed  them  that  he  should  not  be  so  will- 
ing to  make  peace  after  beating  them.  Seeing  that  the 
Happahs  were  determined  upon  a  conflict,  and  that  they 
attributed  the  forbearance  of  the  Americans  to  cowardice, 
Capt.  Porter  concluded  to  gratify  them,  and  put  a  stop  to 
a  state  of  affairs  which  was  causing  much  suffering  to  his 
friends  in  the  valley.  He  knew  that  a  conflict  must  ensue, 
sooner  or  later,  and  he  found  that  even  the  people  of  the 
valley,  which  was  called  Tienhoy,  were  beginning  to  lose 
faith  in  his  ability  to  vanquish  the  Happahs. 

Here  we  will  pause  a  moment,  to  describe  the  Island  of 
ISTookaheeva,  called  by  Ingraham  Madison's  island,  where 
these  events  were  taking  place ;  it  is  the  largest  of  the 
Washington  group,  being  eighteen  miles  in  length  and  ten 
in  breadth,  and  is  traversed  by  a  range  of  rocky  mountains 
elevated  from  three  to  five  thousand  feet  above  the  sea, 
with  offsets  on  either  side,  extending  to  the  shores ;  thus  di- 
viding the  island  into  transverse  valleys,  watered  by  copi- 
ous streams,  forming  picturesque  cascades.  The  interior 
highlands  are  mostly  bare  and  inaccessible,  and  the  rocky 
coast  beaten  by  the  surf.  At  the  time  of  Porter's  visit, 
each  valley  was  inhabited  by  different  tribes,  living  to- 
gether in  large  families  as  neighbors.  In  the  Tienhoy 
valley  there  were  six  of  these  tribes  collectively  called 
Taeehs  (friends),  and  Gattanewa  was  acknowledged  as 
chief  by  four  of  them ;  but  he  had  great  influence  besides 
over  the  other  two.  One  of  these  two  tribes,  the  Havouhs, 
was  a  democracy,  having  expelled  their  chief,  a  relative  of 
Gattanewa,  for  misconduct.  Their  priest  Tawattoa  had, 
however,  great  influence  with  them,  and  decided  all  con- 
troversies. What  government  the  islanders  had,  was  pa- 
triarchal; wealth  was  power,  as  in  more  civilized^countries, 


180  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

and  there  was  much  pride  of  ancestry.  Gattanewa  traced 
his  descent  for  eighty-eight  generations^  which  is  a  good  deal 
more  than  some  of  onr  aristocrats  can  do ;  and,  contrary 
to  the  Darwinian  theory,  his  family  tree  'did  not  commence 
with  a  monkey.  According  to  Nookaheevan  tradition, 
Oataia,  or  day-light,  and  Ananoona,  his  wife,  came  from 
Yavao,  an  island  underneath  N"ookaheeva,  and  brought 
with  them  bread  fruit,  sugar  cane,  and  other  plants.  They 
had  forty  children  all  named  after  the  plants  they  brought 
with  them,  except  the  eldest  son  who  was  called  Po  or 
night.  They  settled  in  the  valley  of  Tienhoy,  but  soon 
spread  all  over  the  island ;  and  Gattanewa  drew  his  chief 
consideration  from  the  fact  of  his  inheriting  the  honors  of 
the  great  Oataia ;  and  the  principal  people  all  over  the 
island  were  married  to  his  sisters  or  descendants. 

The  Happahs  consisted  of  six  tribes,  and  resided  in  a 
valley  near  Comptroller's  bay.  On  the  north  of  Comp- 
troller's bay,  an  extensive,  highly  cultivated,  and  beautiful 
valley  was  thickly  inhabited  by  the  warlike  Typees,  divided 
into  three  tribes.  There  were  numbers  of  other  principal 
tribes,  all  of  which  were  subdivided  into  bands  like  the 
Taeehs,  Happahs  and  Typees,  and  Captain  Porter  estimated 
that  the  combined  number  of  warriors  on  the  island  amounted 
to  19,200  men,  of  which  2500  were  Taeehs,  3000  Happahs 
and  3500  Typees.  Captain  Porter  accounts  for  this  great 
number  by  saying,  that  old  and  young  all  were  capable  of 
managing  spear,  club  or  sling.  Their  mode  of  fighting 
was  a  system  of  constant  skirmishing,  and  the  skulls  of 
their  enemies  were  valued  as  trophies,  as  is  the  case  with 
many  tribes  of  Indians  on  the  north-west  coast  of  America. 
For  their  combats,  they  generally  selected  a  plain  where 
one  or  two  natives,  decked  out  in  all  their  finery,  advanced 
towards  the  opposite  party,  skillfully  avoiding  the  shower 
of  spears  and  stones,  and  dared  them  to  single  combat. 
These  were  soon  pursued  by  a  greater  number,  who  in 
turn  were  driven  back ;  and  if  an  enemy  should  chance  to 
fall,  he  was  instantly  dispatched  with  clubs  and  borne  off  in 
triumph.  Their  arms  were  beautifully  made ;  the  clubs 
skillfully  carved  with  outlandish  figures,  and  with  their 
slings,  made  of  the  fibres  of  cocoanut  bark,  they  threw 
stones  of  the  weight  of  half  a  pound  with  a  velocity  and 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  181 

accuracy  that  rendered  them  not  a  bad  substitute  for 
musketry,  as  the  numerous  scars,  broken  limbs  and  frac- 
tured skulls  of  the  natives  abundantly  testified.  These 
then  were  the  people  with  whom  the  Americans  would 
soon  have  to  contend,  en  masse,  unless  they  speedily  mani- 
fested their  power  over  the  Happahs. 

On  the  28th  of  October,  Gattanewa  informed  Captain 
Porter  that  the  gun  would  be  at  the  summit  of  the  mountain 
by  the  time  his  people  could  reach  that  point,  a  statement 
which  Porter  could  hardly  credit,  when  he  looked  at  the 
rugged  country  over  which  the  gun  must  pass;  but  he 
promised  the  chief  to  send  forty  men  with  muskets  next 
morning  to  the  spot,  asking  for  an  equal  number  of  na- 
tives to  carry  provisions  and  ammunition.  That  afternoon 
Gattanewa's  wife  and  several  daughters  and  granddaughters 
visited  the  camp,  and  manifested  great  interest  in  every 
thing  they  saw,  particularly  in  the  animals  which  they 
called  hogs.  Gattanewa's  wife  had  evidently  been  as 
handsome  in  her  youth  as  her  descendants  were  at  that 
moment.  She  reminded  the  captain  of  his  exchange  of 
names  with  her  husband,  and  said,  pointing  to  the  others, 
that  these  were  now  his  children,  who  looked  to  him  for 
protection  against  the  Happahs. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


1  HE  morning  after  the  gun  was  reported  as  having 
reached  the  top  of  the  mountain,  the  party  of  seamen  and 
marines,  under  Lieut.  Downes,  commenced  their  march, 
accompanied  by  a  force  of  natives  to  transport  their  arms 
and  provisions.  Just  as  the  party  started  old  Gattanewa 
arrived,  and  informed  Capt.  Porter  that  his  daughter,  the 
wife  of  a  Happah  chief,  had  come  as  an  envoy  from  the 
enemy  to  sue  for  peace.  From  Gattanewa's  solicitude  for 
peace,  compared  with  his  previous  desire  for  hostilities. 


182  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

Capt.  Porter  was  apprehensive  of  some  treachery;  and 
kaowing  that  the  handful  of  men  he  had  sent  forward  were 
at  the  mercy  of  theTaeehs  he  concluded  to  hold  the  old  chief 
as  a  hostage  until  the  expedition  should  return.  The  old 
man  appeared  very  uneasy  at  his  detention,  and  repeatedly 
asked  if  he  was  not  going  to  be  put  to  death  in  case  any  of 
the  Americans  should  be  injured  by  the  Happahs;  and  it 
was  with  difficulty  that  his  apprehensions  were  quieted. 
The  party  left  at  the  camp  consisted  of  but  ten  or  twelve 
working  men  and  a  sentinel,  and  they  were  all  busily  en- 
gaged when  a  native  came  rushing  in,  exclaiming  that  the 
Happahs  were  only  a  short  distance  from  the  camp.  The 
alarm  gun  was  fired  and  everybody  sprang  to  their  arms 
and  awaited  behind  the  barrier  of  water  casks  the  expected 
attack.  Hearing  no  noise  it  was  believed  to  be  a  false 
alarm,  but  finally  a  party  of  the  enemy  were  seen  skulking 
in  the  grass,  but  they  took  flight  as  soon  as  a  six  pounder 
was  brought  to  bear  on  them. 

About  eleven  o'clock,  the  party  under  Lieut.  Downes 
had  gained  the  mountains  and  could  be  seen  from  below 
driving  the  Happahs  from  height  to  height,  the  latter  fight- 
ing as  they  retreated,  and  daring  the  Americans  to  follow 
them.  One  of  the  friendly  natives  waved  an  American 
flag  in  triumph  as  he  skipped  along  the  mountains.  Most 
of  the  Taeehs  kept  at  a  respectful  distance  in  the  rear,  but 
Mouina  the  chief  was  to  be  seen  in  advance  conspicuous 
by  his  scarlet  cloak  and  waving  plumes.  At  about  4  p.  M. 
the  victorious  army  was  seen  descending  the  mountain,  the 
natives  bearing  five  dead  bodies  slung  on  poles. 

Mr.  Downes  and  his  men  were  quite  overcome  with 
their  unusual  exertions.  It  seems  that  when  they  arrived 
at  the  summit,  the  Happahs  assailed  them  with  showers 
of  stones  and  spears,  and  when  driven  from  their  position 
had  sought  refuge  in  a  fortress  made  of  the  trunks  of  trees 
on  the  brow  of  a  steep  declivity.  Here  they  made  a  stand 
to  the  number  of  three  or  four  thousand,  and  dared  the 
Americans  to  the  attack.  The  latter  after  taking  breath 
rushed  up  the  hill  headed  by  Lieut.  Downes,  who  in  ad- 
vancing was  stretched  breathless  on  the  ground,  by  a 
blow  from  a  stone;  and   at  the  same  instant,  one  of  his 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  183 

men  was  pierced  through  the  neck  with  a  spear.  This 
checked  the  advance  for  a  moment,  hut  Lieut.  Downes  soon 
recovered  and  gave  the  order  to  charge,  which  was  done 
with  three  cheers,  and  amid  a  shower  of  stones  and  spears 
the  Americans  entered  the  fort.  Not  until  this  moment 
did  the  Happahs  think  of  retreating,  and  one  of  them 
fought  until  the  muzzle  of  a  piece  was  presented  to  his 
forehead  and  the  top  of  his  head  blown  entirely  off.  The 
friendly  Indians  now  collected  the  dead  bodies,  and  ran  to 
plunder  the  adjacent  village  of  provisions  and  household 
utensils,  returning  laden  with  the  spoil ;  for  the  Happahs 
had  not  thought  it  necessary  to  carry  anything  away,  not 
thinking  that  a  handful  of  men  could  defeat  their  forces. 

It  was  shocking  to  see  the  manner  in  which  the  wounded 
Happahs  were  treated  by  the  friendly  natives.  They 
rushed  at  them  with  their  war  clubs  and  immediately  dis- 
patched them,  after  which,  each  dipped  the  point  of  his 
spear  in  the  blood  of  the  dead  men,  which  nothing  could 
induce  them  to  wipe  off.  From  that  time  the  spear  bore 
the  name  of  the  slain,  and  its  value  was  greatly  enhanced. 

Gattanewa  was  now  released,  much  to  his  satisfaction. 
He  was  greatly  in  dread  of  his  powerful  allies,  having 
heard  from  the  natives  with  what  ease  the  Americans  had 
captured  the  fort.  The  number  of  the  dead  exceeded  so 
far  that  of  any  previous  battle,  that  he  could  not  realize  it. 

The  affair  was  very  creditable  to  the  Americans,  when 
we  consider  that  a  handful  of  men  were  opposed  to  thou- 
sands of  athletic  savages.  But  two  Americans  were, 
wounded,  and  one  Taeeh  had  his  jaw  broken  by  a  stone. 
The  dead  were  laid  out  in  the  public  square,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  one  body  which  was  that  of  a  Taeeh,  who  had 
married  among  the  Happahs,  whose  remains  were  given  to 
his  relations. 

Captain  Porter  had  been  informed  that  the  natives  were 
cannibals ;  but  on  questioning  Gattanewa  although  the 
chief  acknowledged  that  they  sometimes  had  eaten  their 
enemies,  he  declared  that  none  of  his  own  family  were 
ever  known  to  have  tasted  human  flesh.  Several  of  the 
dead  bodies  that  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  natives 
were  seen  unmutilated  until  they  became  too  much  de- 


184  Memoik  op  Commodore  David  Porter. 

composed  to  have  been  eaten.  This  report  of  their  being  can- 
nibals, was  an  ugly  feature  in  the  character  of  this  other- 
wise interesting  people;  but  the  acknowledgments  of 
Gattanewa  left  little  doubt  on  Capt.  Porter's  mind.  These 
natives  were  generous  and  benevolent,  very  cleanly  in  all 
their  habits.  It  was  remarked  that,  previous  to  eating,  an 
islander  would  first  smell  of  his  food,  and  if  in  the  least 
degree  tainted  reject  it.  How  a  people  so  delicate  in  their 
tastes,  inhabiting  a  country  abounding  in  delicious  fruits, 
could  practice  such  a  loathsome  habit  as  that  of  cannibal- 
ism, was  beyond  conception,  and  furnished  a  striking 
instance  of  human  inconsistency. 

On  visiting  Gattanewa's  wife,  Capt.  Porter  found  that 
she  was  in  a  state  of  terror,  fearing  that  since  he  had 
destroyed  the  Happahs,  Porter  would  treat  the  Taeehs  in 
the  same  manner.  Bursting  into  tears  she  knelt  before 
the  Captain,  and  begged  for  mercy  for  herself  and  chil- 
dren. The  latter  soon  quieted  her  fears,  and  assured 
her  that  he  would  protect  the  Taeehs  against  all  their 
enemies,  so  long  as  they  were  friendly,  but  if  any  treachery 
was  attempted  towards  the  Americans  he  would  lay  the 
whole  valley  waste;  all  of  which  Taiheatairah  communi- 
cated to  the  assembled  natives  in  an  impassioned  speech, 
to  show  them  the  importance  of  living  on  friendly  terms 
with  the  mighty  foreigners. 

Gattanewa,  in  the  meantime,  was  rejoicing  over  the 
bodies  of  the  slain  in  the  public  square;  and  on  proceed- 
ing thither,  the  chief  appeared  with  a  cocoanut  in  one 
hand  containing  some  sour  substance,  and  in  the  other  a 
raw  fish,  which  he  occasionally  dipped  in  the  cocoanut  and 
then  ate ;  but  as  soon  as  he  found  that  this  primi- 
tive mode  of  eating  was  ofiensive  to  the  Americans,  he 
desisted  from  it.  The  bodies  were  lying  on  the  ground 
still  attached  to  the  poles  by  which  they  had  been  brought 
down  the  mountain,  and  surrounded  by  a  crowd  of  ^ve 
or  six  hundred  warriors  beating  drums  and  chanting  songs. 
An  important  religious  ceremony  was  in  fact  progressing, 
in  honor  of  the  victory  over  the  Happahs ;  possibly  as  a 
preliminary  to  their  indulging  in  the  cannibal  feast  which 
follows  success  in  battle.     To  this  conjecture  was  given  a 


Memoir  of  Comsjodore  David  Porter.         185 

coloring  of  truth,  by  the  confusion  which  was  caused  by 
Captain  Porter's  appearance  on  the  scene.  The  natives 
attempted  to  conceal  the  bodies,  but  the  Captain  ordered 
them  to  be  brought  back,  and  an  examination  showed 
them  not  to  have  been  mutilated.  In  response  to  Porter's 
suspicions,  the  natives  protested  that  they  had  no  inten- 
tion of  eating  their  enemys'  bodies,  but  requested  that 
they  might  keep  them  above  ground  for  a  day  or  two 
longer,  to  perform  the  usual  ceremonies  on  such  occasions, 
to  which  they  had  been  accustomed  from  time  immemorial. 
These  consisted  in  singing  songs  of  victory,  and  returning 
thanks  to  their  gods,  for  sending  Opetee  to  their  assistance. 
Whatever  may  have  been  the  real  intentions  of  the  natives, 
they  succeeded  in  removing  from  the  minds  of  the  Ameri- 
cans, the  suspicion  that  they  were  intending  to  eat  the 
dead  bodies. 

A  Happah  messenger  now  arrived,  and  was  agreeably 
surprised  when  Captain  Porter  offered  him  his  hand.  He 
reported  many  of  the  tribe  wounded  by  musket  balls,  and 
that  all  were  desirous  of  peace.  The  messenger  took  back 
with  him  a  white  handkerchief  attached  to  a  spear,  which 
he  was  told  would  protect  any  one  who  bore  it ;  and  the 
same  day  Gattanewa's  son-in-law  arrived  under  protection 
of  the  white  handkerchief,  to  treat  for  peace,  expressing 
the  utmost  regret  for  their  past  folly,  and  a  desire  to  make 
any  amends  in  their  power.  Peace  was  accordingly 
granted,  on  condition  of  their  sending  in  once  a  week  a 
supply  of  breadfruit,  hogs,  &c.,  for  the  Americans,  for 
which  they  would  receive  payment  in  articles  valuable  to 
the  natives.  In  the  course  of  the  day,  the  other  Happah 
chiefs  came  in  and  subscribed  to  the  terms  proposed,  which 
were  much  better  than  they  expected  to  receive;  and, 
within  two  days,  envoys  came  in  from  every  tribe  on  the 
island,  with  the  exception  of  the  warlike  Typees  and  the 
unpronounceable  Hatecaaheottwohos ;  the  first  confid- 
ing in  their  strength,  and  the  latter  in  their  distance  from 
the  scene  of  action.  These  allied  tribes  ha^  been  taught 
by  their  priests  to  believe  themselves  invincible ;  but  all 
the  others  subscribed  to  terms,  and  for  several  weeks  the 
Americans  luxuriated  in  the  good  things  the  island  afforded. 

[NToticing  that  the  tent  pitched  at  the  camp  did  not  ex- 
24 


186  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

elude  the  rain,  over  4000  of  the  natives  went  to  work  on 
the  8d  of  ^N'ovember,  and  in  a  single  day  completed  a 
dwelling  house  for  the  captain,  another  for  the  officers,  a 
sail  loft,  a  cooper's  shop,  hospital,  bake  house,  guard  house, 
and  a  shed  for  the  sentinel  to  walk  under.  This  village 
was  laid  down,  according  to  a  plan  of  Captain  Porter,  in  the 
form  of  a  crescent ;  the  buildings  connected  by  a  wall  four 
feet  in  height,  and  all  the  work  was  executed  with  much 
neatness  and  without  confusion.  When  the  village  was 
completed,  harpoons  and  iron  hoops  were  distributed 
to  the  workmen;  and  Gattanewa  and  his  people  were 
much  pleased  that  the  house  built  by  them  was  considered 
the  best. 

It  seemed  strange  that  these  natives,  who  appeared  to 
have  nobody  over  them  exercising  any  considerable  au- 
thority, and  were  neither  stimulated  by  rewards  nor  de- 
terred by  fear  of  punishment,  should  conceive  and  execute 
works  of  such  magnitude.  They  seemed  to  act  with  one 
mind  and  to  be  influenced  by  the  same  impulse.  Their 
greatest  achievement  was  in  carrying  the  gun  to  the  top 
of  the  mountain,  without  the  aid  of  any  mechanical  appli- 
ances, and  over  a  country  where  the  unincumbered  Ame- 
ricans could  only  pass  at  the  risk  of  breaking  their  necks; 
The  task  was  performed  by  relays  of  natives,  the  people 
of  one  valley  taking  the  gun  a  certain  distance,  and  then 
turning  it  over  to  those  of  the  next  valley,  and  so  on ;  but 
the  building  of  the  Egyptian  pyramids  seems  hardly  as 
wonderful  as  the  achievement  of  these  untutored  savages, 
whose  sole  object  seemed  to  be  to  live  without  exertion  in 
their  enervating  climate. 

The  Typees  now  began  to  cause  the  Americans  some 
uneasiness,  as  their  bad  example  in  continually  defying  the 
strangers  would,  it  was  feared,  operate  injuriously  on  the 
other  tribes.  It  is  an  established  fact  that  all  savages  re- 
spect you  so  long  as  they  fear  you,  but  the  moment  they 
dare  to  do  so  will  set  you  at  defiance.  Temaa  Tipee,  a 
chief  of  the  valley  of  Showeme,  had  not  been  very  punctual 
in  sending  the  supplies  which,  in  common  with  other 
chiefs,  he  had  promised  the  Americans,  and  his  example 
had  the  effect  of  causing  the  others  to  fall  off;  it  was, 
therefore,  found  necessary  to  notify  this  chief  of  his  neglect, 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         187 

and  to  inform  him  that  in  default  of  compliance  with  his 
promises  he  would  be  considered  as  an  enemy.  The  chief 
replied  that  he  should  have  been  more  punctual,  but  the 
Happahs  refused  his  people  permission  to  pass  through 
their  valley ;  which  story  (although  not  believed  in  as  its 
truth  was  positively  denied  by  the  Happahs),  was  taken  as 
a  satisfactory  explanation,  and  Temaa  Tipee  sent  six  large 
canoes  loaded  with  fruit  and  hogs  to  propitiate  Capt.  Porter, 
and  was  no  doubt  rewarded  with  a  couple  of  iron  hoops. 

It  was  now  ascertained  that  it  was  not  the  Happahs  but 
the  Typees  who  had  threatened  Temaa  Tipee,  calling  him 
a  coward,  and  saying  that  they  would  drive  him  off  his 
land;  and  the  chief,  therefore,  claimed  the  protection  of 
the  Americans,  which  Captain  Porter  promised  him,  and 
sealed  the  bond  of  friendship  by  exchanging  names,  the 
chief  assuming  that  of  David,  while  the  captain  was 
honored  by  that  of  Temaa  Tipee.  The  chief  and  his  tribe 
were  greatly  pleased  with  this  compliment  and  ever  after- 
wards conducted  themselves  with  great  propriety.  Tavee 
(as  Temaa  Tipee  called  himself),  was  a  very  handsome  man 
and  exceedingly  fond  of  ornamenting  his  person,  and  to 
such  an  extent  did  he  carry  his  love  for  finery,  as  to  offer 
his  handsome  wife  (of  whom  he  seemed  to  be  very  fond), 
for  a  string  of  glass  beads  ! 

It  now  became  necessary  to  have  a  perfect  understand- 
ing with  the  Typees,  and  a  messenger  was  sent  to  enquire 
of  them  if  they  wished  to  be  at  peace  with  the  Americans 
or  not,  informing  them  that  the  latter  had  sufficient 
strength  to  drive  them  into  the  sea,  but  would  grant  the 
Typees  the  same  terms  as  the  other  tribes,  only  requiring 
an  exchange  of  presents  as  a  proof  of  their  friendly  dispo- 
sition. In  reply  the  Typees  said  that  they  saw  no  reason 
why  they  should  want  the  friendship  of  the  Americans, 
having  got  along  thus  far  without  it ;  or  why  they  should 
present  the  strangers  with  fruit  and  hogs ;  that  if  Porter 
was  strong  enough  he  would  come  and  take  them ;  and 
that  it  was  time  enough  to  think  of  parting  with  their  pro- 
visions, when  they  could  no  longer  keep  their  valley.  This 
message  was  delivered  to  Capt.  Porter  in  the  presence 
of  Gattanewa,  Mouina,  and  many  of  the  friendly  tribes. 
Mouina  foamed  with  rage,  and  was  for  immediate  hostili- 


188  Memoie  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

* 

ties  ;  but  old  Gattanewa  became  serious,  and  said  that  he 
would  send  his  son  to  advise  the  Typees  to  be  friendly, 
and  even  ottered  to  go  himself  and  inform  the  enemy  of 
the  dreadful  etiects  of  the  bouhies  and  of  the  madness  of  re- 
sistance. The  son  accordingly  departed,  and  in  two  days 
brought  messages  from  the  Typees  to  the  eflect  that 
Gattanewa  and  all  his  people  were  cowards;  that  the 
Americans  had  beaten  the  Happahs  because  they  were 
cowards;  that  Porter  and  his  people  were  white  lizards 
and  mere  dirt,  and  much  more  iilthy  abuse  which  they 
must  have  obtained  from  contact  with  civilized  people, 
as  such  expressions  were  not  common  among  the  simple 
islanders.  They  sneered  at  the  Americans,  who,  they 
said,  were  incapable  of  enduring  the  slightest  fatigue,  and 
could  not  climb  the  mountains  without  the  assistance  of 
the  natives.  They  dared  Porter  to  come  to  their  valley, 
and  said,  they  did  not  dread  the  bouhies  as  much  as  they 
were  dreaded  by  the  cowardly  Taeehs  and  Happahs. 

When  these  insulting  messages  were  delivered  Gatta- 
newa withdrew  all  opposition  to  war,  saying  the  Typees 
deserved  chastisement,  while  Mouina  demanded  immediate 
action  :  but  Captain  Porter,  not  thinking  it  advisable  to 
submit  to  any  dictation,  checked  Mouina's  impetuosity  for 
fear  his  example  might  become  contagious,  and  that  he 
might  find  it  difficult  to  keep  the  natives  under  that  con- 
trol by  which  only  could  the  Americans  be  secure  against 
such  a  great  preponderance  of  numbers.  He  informed 
the  chief  that  his  opinion  was  not  required,  and  that  he 
should  not  consult  him  in  any  way  about  going  to  war  or 
making  peace ;  and  that  if  he  could  not  conduct  himself 
more  respectfully,  he  must  leave  the  enclosure.  It  was  not 
to  be  expected  that  one  of  the  lords  of  the  soil  would  bear 
such  language  with  patience,  especially  as  it  is  probable 
the  interpreter  interlarded  it  with  some  spicy  inventions 
of  his  own  ;  and  Mouina,  as  soon  as  he  recovered  from  his 
astonishment,  coolly  informed  Capt.  Porter  that  he  believed 
he  was  a  coward.  The  Captain,  on  the  impulse  of  the 
moment,  pursued  the  chief,  and  presenting  a  musket  at  his 
head,  threatened  him  with  destruction  should  he  repeat 
such  conduct,  at  the  same  time  ordering  the  terror  stricken 
native  never  to  set  foot  in  the  enclosure  again. 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         189 

It  was  now  determined  to  make  a  combined  attack  on 
the  Typees  by  land  and  sea,  altbougb  Capt.  Porter  was  in 
hopes  that  the  Typees,  when  they  heard  what  extensive 
preparations  were  making,  would  be  induced  to  sue  for 
peace.  The  Taeehs  and  Happahs  were  notified  to  hold 
themselves  in  readiness,  and  were  so  delighted  at  the  pros- 
pect of  war  that  they  could  think  of  nothing  else.  Capt. 
Porter,  apprehensive  (from  the  fickleness  of  the  natives), 
that  his  allies  were  not  much  to  be  depended  upon,  con- 
cluded to  construct  a  fort  for  the  protection  of  the  American 
village ;  and  also  to  secure  the  Taeehs  against  incursions 
from  any  other  tribes.  The  possession  of  this  fort  would 
also  ensure  perfect  protection  to  the  Americans,  in  case  the 
natives  should  prove  treacherous,  by  no  means  an  unlikely 
circumstance.  Porter  was  also  of  opinion  that  these  islands 
would  some  day  be  valuable  to  the  United  States,  and  he 
was  desirous  to  strengthen  the  claim  of  our  government 
by  every  means  in  his  power.  Gattanewa  and  his  people, 
so  far  from  objecting  to  the  erection  of  a  fort,  requested 
that  they  might  go  to  work  on  it  as  soon  as  possible,  and 
in  response  to  Porter's  inquiries  whether  they  would  be 
faithful  to  the  American  flag,  said  that  they  would  always 
receive  the  Americans  as  brothers  and  prevent  their  ene- 
mies the  English  from  coming  among  them  ;  for  they  well 
knew  that  war  existed  between  the  two  nations,  and  that 
all  the  vessels  in  port  except  the  Essex  had  been  taken 
from  the  English.  Finding  that  the  natives  were  anxious 
for  an  alliance  with  the  Americans,  Captain  Porter  pro- 
mised them  that  as  soon  as  the  fort  was  built  a  treaty 
should  be  signed,  which  would  make  them  all  brothers  of 
one  nation.  The  fort  was  soon  constructed  with  casks 
filled  with  sand  on  an  elevation  difficult  of  assault,  and 
commanding  the  town  and  harbor.  The  Captain  directed 
the  work,  and  showed  that  he  had  the  talents  of  an  en- 
gineer, as  well  as  those  of  a  seaman.  The  fort  was  calcu- 
lated for  sixteen  guns,  but,  for  the  present,  it  was  not 
thought  necessary  to  mount  but  four.  On  the  14th  the 
work  was  completed,  the  Taeehs  all  the  time  talking  of  war 
with  the  Typees,  and  anticipating  the  plunder  they  would 
get  from  their  enemies. 

About  this  time,  Capt.  Porter  discovered  a  conspiracy 


190  Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter. 

among  his  prisoners,  the  object  of  which  was  to  get  pos- 
session of  the  Essex  Junior ;  a  very  foolish,  and,  consider- 
ing the  kindness  with  which  they  had  been  treated,  a  very 
treacherous  scheme.  The  prisoners  had  been  permitted 
to  go  where  they  pleased,  without  any  restraint,  under  a 
promise  of  conducting  themselves  with  propriety  and  not 
absenting  themselves,  much  to  the  surprise  of  the  natives, 
who  wondered  why  the  Americans  did  not  kill  them.  This 
indulgence  only  encouraged  the  prisoners  in  the  hope  of 
making  their  escape.  Lawson,  the  mate  of  the  Hammond, 
was  the  ringleader,  and  the  night  of  the  14th  was  fixed  on 
for  making  the  attempt,  which  was  to  be  inaugurated  by 
getting  such  of  the  crew  as  remained  on  board  the  Essex 
junior  intoxicated  by  means  of  rum  mixed  with  laudanum. 
The  third  mate,  with  the  prisoners  on  shore,  was  to  get  pos- 
session of  the  canoes  on  the  beach,  and  with  them  to  sur- 
prise the  ship  and  take  her  to  sea,  there  being  no  other 
vessel  in  condition  to  follow  her,  and  no  powder  on  board 
l^the  frigate  with  which  to  stop  her. 

Captain  Porter  learned  of  these  plans  almost  as  soon  as 
they  were  conceived,  and  willing  to  humor  the  conspirators, 
gave  them  every  chance  to  make  the  attempt,  adopting  at 
the  same  time  suitable  precautions  for  securing  them. 
The  two  sentinels  placed  over  the  rum  casks  on  the  gun 
deck  had  been  corrupted  by  some  of  the  conspirators,  and 
had  connived  at  their  stealing  liquor,  but  the  theft  was  dis- 
covered and  the  sentries  severely  punished.  I^Text  evening, 
on  making  his  usual  round  of  the  camp  to  see  that  every- 
thing was  right,  the  sentinel  at  the  bake  house  was  found 
asleep.  The  necessity  of  great  vigilance  had  been  im- 
pressed on  the  minds  of  everyone,  both  on  account  of  the 
prisoners  and  of  the  natives.  The  friendly  footing  on 
which  the  Americans  stood  with  the  natives  was  entirely 
owing  to  the  latter  being  convinced  that  the  Americans 
were  always  on  their  guard,  and  the  Captain  was  deter- 
mined that  the  safety  of  the  whole  should  not  be  hazarded 
by  one  man.  The  culprit,  therefore,  received  a  ball 
through  the  fleshy  part  of  his  thigh,  and  this  example  had 
the  desired  effect  of  rendering  the  men  more  vigilant. 
Should  the  punishment  awarded  the  sentry  seem  severe,  it 
should  be  remembered  that  a  court  martial  would  have  pro- 


Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter.         191 

bably  sentenced  him  to  death,  as  the  only  penalty  adequate 
to  such  an  offense. 

Sunday  night  had' been  fixed  upon,  by  the  conspirators, 
for  making  their  attempt ;  but  the  day  before,  a  ship  hove 
in  sight  off*  the  mouth  of  the  harbor,  and  the  Essex  junior 
immediately  gave  chase  to  her.  Capt.  Porter  at  once  put 
all  the  prisoners  in  irons,  thus  terminating  their  hope  of 
escape;  and  to  punish  their  violation  of  parole,  they  were 
set  to  work  to  build  a  stone  wall  around  the  village,  which 
was  finished  before  the  Essex  left  the  place. 

The  next  day  the  strange  sail,  which  had  been  chased 
by  the  Essex  junior,  came  into  port,  and  proved  to  be  the 
American  ship  Albatross,  from  the  Sandwich  islands,  in 
search  of  sandal  wood;  but  the  captain  of  the  Essex  was 
sorry  to  see  her  in  this  place,  as  he  was  afraid  that  she 
would  make  the  whereabouts  of  his  vessel  known. 

About  this  time  a  circumstance  occurred  which  threat- 
ened disagreeable  consequences,  but  ended  very  pleasantly ; 
so  that,  on  the  whole,  the  Captain  did  not  regret  it. 
Robert  Dunn,  quarter  master,  had  been  threatened  with 
punishment  by  the  officer  of  the  watch  for  neglect  of  duty ; 
but  Dunn  said  that  his  time  of  enlistment  had  expired, 
and  if  punished  he  would  never  again  do  duty.  This 
being  reported  to  the  Captain,  caused  him  great  uneasi- 
ness, for  most  of  the  crew  were  in  the  same  situation  as 
Dunn.  Promptness  and  decision  were  necessary  at  this 
crisis,  and  all  hands  were  immediately  mustered  on  the 
quarter  deck  and  informed  of  Dunn's  offense.  Dunn  was 
then  prepared  for  a  flogging  at  the  gangway,  (an  unusual 
occurrence  on  board  the  Essex),  and  informed  by  the  Cap- 
tain that  after  punishing  him  severely,  he  would  turn  him 
on  shore,  for  as  his  time  was  out  it  was  proper  that  he 
should  have  his  discharge.  He  then  addressed  the  ship's 
company,  commenting  on  the  impropriety  of  Dunn's  con- 
duct, and  the  evils  it  would  lead  to  if  tolerated.  He 
said  that  many  of  their  times  were  out;  and  from  that 
moment  he  gave  up  all  claim  upon  their  services;  that  they 
were  their  own  masters  and  should  have  their  discharges 
on  the  spot.  To  those  who  wished  to  enlist  again  to  serve 
the  cruise,  he  would  give  the  usual  advance,  and  on  a 
suitable  occasion,  three  days  liberty  on  shore;  that  such 


192  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

as  did  not  desire  to  reenlist,  but  would  bind  themselves  to 
do  duty  might  remain  on  board  until  the  ship  arrived  in 
some  civilized  place;  that  they  should  be  supplied  with 
food,  but  should  receive  neither  pay  nor  prize  money. 
Such  as  wished  their  discharge  were  to  hand  in  their 
names  so  that  their  papers  could  be  made  out. 

Having  ended  his  speech  the  Captain  ordered  Dunn  to  be 
punished,  when  the  officers  and  petty  officers  stepped  for- 
ward and  solicited  his  pardon,  on  the  ground  that  he  was 
intoxicated  at  the  time  of  committing  his  offense.  Dunn 
also  begged  for  forgiveness,  and  as  a  proof  of  his  attach- 
ment to  the  ship  requested  that  his  name  might  be  placed 
first  on  the  shipping  list.  This  was  all  that  the  Captain 
required.  He  merely  wished  to  let  his  crew  understand 
that  he  would  not  submit  to  insubordination ;  and  an  ac- 
knowledgment of  fault  went  far  with  him  in  remitting 
punishment.  Dunn  was  pardoned,  and  all  those  whose 
times  were  out  reenlisted,  except  one  man  who,  from  some 
whim,  did  not  desire  to  ship  though  wishing  to  remain  on 
duty. 

This  affair  was  very  adroitly  managed  by  Capt. 
Porter,  who  in  all  probability  did  not  intend  to  punish 
Dunn ;  as  according  to  the  strict  letter  of  the  law,  he  had 
no  right  to  do  so,  the  man's  time  having  expired.  He  de- 
sired to  rule  without  the  colt  and  cats  if  he  could,  but  was 
determined  at  all  hazards  to  maintain  discipline. 

The  arrival  of  the  Albatross  pleased  the  sailors  mightily ; 
she  had  brought  from  China  a  cargo  of  beads  and  trinkets 
to  exchange  for  sandal  wood,  and  they  soon  disposed  of 
their  advance  money,  which  was  only  so  much  trash,  in 
exchange  for  articles  which  they  knew  would  please  the 
native  girls,  who  hearing  of  the  abundance  of  peepees, 
(beads),  and  other  tie  ties  (presents),  with  which  their 
admirers  were  supplied,  flocked  to  the  settlement  from  every 
tribe  with  whom  the  Americans  were  at  peace. 

On  the  19th  of  ISTovember,  1813,  the  American  flag  was 
hoisted  over  the  fort,  and  a  salute  of  seventeen  guns  fired, 
which  was  returned  by  the  shipping.  The  island  was  then 
formally  taken  possession  of,  for  the  United  States,  and 
called  Madison's  island,  the  village  Madisonville,  the  fort. 
Fort  Madison,  and  the  harbor  Massachusetts  bay.     The 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  193 

act  of  taking  possession  was  read  and  signed,  and  the  pros- 
perity of  the  newly  acquired  territory  was  drank  by  all 
present.  The  natives  were  much  pleased  when  the  object 
of  the  ceremony  was  explained  to  them,  at  being  made 
Malleekees  (Americans)  and  wanted  to  know  if  their  new 
chief  was  as  great  a  man  as  Gattanewa.  The  following  is 
the  Declaration,  which  will  show  that  we  possess  a  right 
to  what  may  become  a  very  important  commercial  point. 

Declaration. —  It  is  hereby  made  known  to  the  world  that  I 
David  Porter  a  captain  in  the  navy  of  the  United  States  of  America 
and  now  in  command  of  the  United  States  frigate  the  Essex,  have 
on  the  part  of  the  said  United  States  taken  possession  of  the  island 
called  by  the  natives  Nookaheevah,  generally  known  by  the  name  of 
Sir  Henry  Martin's  island,  but  now  called  Madison's  island.  That 
by  the  request  and  assistance  of  the  friendly  tribes  residing  in  the 
valley  of  Tienhoy,  as  well  as  of  the  tribes  residing  on  the  mountains, 
whom  we  have  conquered  and  rendered  tributary  to  our  flag,  I  have 
caused  the  village  of  Madison  to  be  built  consisting  of  six  convenient 
houses,  a  rope  walk,  bakery  and  other  appurtenances,  and  for  the 
protection  of  the  same,  as  well  as  for  that  of  the  friendly  natives,  I 
have  constructed  a  fort  calculated  for  mounting  sixteen  guns  whereon 
I  have  mounted  four,  and  called  the  same  Fort  Madison. 

Our  rights  to  this  island  being  founded  on  priority  of  discovery, 
conquest  and  possession  cannot  be  disputed  ;  but  the  natives  to  se- 
cure to  themselves  that  friendly  protection  which  their  defenseless 
situation  so  much  required,  have  requested  to  be  admitted  into  the 
great  American  family,  whose  pure  republican  policy  approaches 
so  near  their  own  ;  and  in  order  to  encourage  these  views  to  their 
own  interest  and  happiness,  as  well  as  to  render  secure  our  claim  to 
an  island  valuable  on  many  considerations,  I  have  taken  on  myself 
to  promise  them  that  they  shall  be  so  adopted ;  that  our  chief  shall 
be  their  chief;  and  they  have  given  assurances  that  such  of  their 
brethren  as  may  hereafter  visit  them,  from  the  United  States,  shall 
enjoy  a  welcome  and  hospitable  reception  among  them,  and  be  fur- 
nished with  whatever  refreshments  and  supplies  the  island  may  afi"ord ; 
that  they  will  protect  them  against  all  their  enemies  ;  and  that,  as 
far  as  lies  in  their  power,  they  will  prevent  the  subjects  of  G-reat 
Britain  (knowing  them  to  be  such)  from  coming  among  them  until 
peace  shall  take  place  between  the  two  nations. 

Presents  consisting  of  the  produce  of  the  island  to  a  great  amount 
have  been  brought  in  by  every  tribe  in  the  island,  not  excepting  the 
most  remote,  and  have  been  enumerated  as  follows  :  (Here  follows 
enumeration  of  thirty-one  tribes.) 
25 


194  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

Most  of  the  above  have  requested  to  be  taken  under  the  protec- 
tion of  our  flag ;  and  all  have  been  willing  to  purchase  on  any  terms 
a  friendship  which  promises  to  them  so  many  advantages. 

Influenced  by  considerations  of  humanity,  which  promises  speedy 
civilization  to  those  who  enjoy  every  mental  and  bodily  endowment, 
which  nature  can  bestow,  and  which  requires  only  art  to  perfect,  as 
well  as  by  views  of  policy,  which  secures  to  my  country  a  fruitful 
and  populous  island,  possessing  every  advantage  of  security  and  sup- 
plies for  vessels ;  and  which  of  all  others  is  the  most  happily  situated, 
as  respects  climate  and  local  position;  I  declare  that  I  have  in  the 
most  solemn  manner,  under  the  American  flag  displayed  in  Fort 
Madison  and  in  the  presence  of  numerous  witnesses,  taken  posses- 
sion of  the  said  island,  called  Madison's  island  for  the  use  of  the 
United  States,  whereof  I  am  a  citizen ;  and  that  the  act  of  taking 
possession  was  announced  by  a  salute  of  seventeen  guns  from  the 
artillery  of  Fort  Madison,  and  returned  by  the  shipping  in  the  har- 
bor, which  is  hereafter  to  be  called  Massachusetts  Bay.  And  that 
our  claim  to  this  island  may  not  be  hereafter  disputed,  I  have 
buried  in  a  bottle  at  the  foot  of  the  flagstaff"  in  Fort  Madison,  a  copy 
of  this  instrument  together  with  several  pieces  of  money  the  coin  of 
the  United  States. 

In  witness  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  affixed  my  signature,  this 
19th  day  of  November,  1813. 

David  Porter. 

Witnesses  present  —  John  Downes,  Lieutenant  U.  S.  N. ;  James 
P.  Wilmer,  Lieutenant  U.  S.  N. ;  S.  D.  McKnight,  Acting  Lieuten- 
ant U.  S.  N. ;  Jno.  Gr.  Cowell,  Acting  Lieutenant ;  David  P.  Adams, 
Chaplain  U.  S.  N. ;  John  M.  Gamble,  Lieutenant  U.  S.  Marines; 
Kichard  K.  Hofi'man,  Acting  Surgeon  U.  S.  N. ;  John  M.  Maury, 
Midshipman  U.  S.  N.  ;  M.  W.  Bostwick,  Acting  Midshipman  U.  S. 
N. ;  William  Smith,  Master  of  the  American  Ship  Albatross;  Wil- 
liam H.  Odenheimer,  Acting  Sailing  Master  U.  S.  N. ;  Wilson  P. 
Hunt,  Agent  for  the  American  North  Pacific  Fur  Company;  P.  de 
Mecter,  Benjamin  Clapp,  citizens  of  the  United  States. 

The  fact  of  taking  possession  of  the  island  in  this  formal 
manner  may  be  thought  indiscreet,  or  at  all  events  un- 
necessary on  the  part  of  the  American  commander ;  but, 
it  must  be  remembered,  that  he  was  only  following  the 
custom  of  all  civilized  nations  under  similar  circumstances, 
and  that  the  discovery  and  exploration  of  the  group  by 
Ingraham  and  Roberts  had  given  us  an  undoubted  claim 
over  the  British   and  French.     The   advantages   to   the 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  195 

United  States  of  the  Washington  islands  were  not  so  evi- 
dent then,  as  they  are  now  to  the  great  mass  of  people  who 
seldom  take  the  trouble  to  look  beyond  the  end  of  their 
noses ;  but  Captain  Porter  fully  appreciated  their  value 
then,  as  France  does  at  the  present  time. 

A  straight  line  run  through  the  Marquesas  from  Panama 
will  strike  the  great  port  of  Sydney  in  Australia.  Eng- 
land, who  is  belting  the  world,  in  all  directions,  \^'ith  her 
lines  of  steamers,  and  whose  very  existence  depends  on 
the  maintenance  of  her  commerce,  will,  in  a  very  short 
time,  have  a  line  of  swift  vessels  from  England  to  Australia, 
via  Panama,  l^ookaheevah  will  then  be  the  principal  port 
of  deposit  for  coal'and  other  supplies,  for  which  purposes 
it  has  no  equal.  Instead  of  taking  two  months  to  get  to 
Australia,  the  shortest  time  by  which  a  passage  can  be 
made  via  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  steamers  of  fair  speed 
will  go  from  England  via  Panama  in  forty-four  days.  That 
is  England's  advantage  in  the  Pacific ;  and  it  seems  strange 
that  she  should  have  let  the  French,  who  do  nothing  for 
colonization,  or  for  commerce,  take  possession  of  the 
Marquesas  islands. 

ISTature  has  given  the  islands  of  the  Pacific  advantages 
that  will,  not  many  years  hence,  result  in  the  foundation 
of  a  great  empire  in  that  quarter,  when  the  last  remnant 
of  the  once  numerous  tribes  will  have  disappeared  before 
the  advances  of  civilization  :  but  we  have  wandered  from 
the  Essex,  to  which  we  must  now  return. 

All  hands  were  now  desirous  to  get  away  from  the 
Washington  islands,  and  follow  up  former  successes,  and  did 
everything  to  hasten  the  Essex's  departure.  The  Captain 
sold  the  guns  of  Fort  Madison  to  the  captain  of  the  Albatross, 
(which  vessel  soon  dep'arted  for  China),  to  do  away  with 
the  impression  that  the  taking  possession  of  the  island  was 
anything  more  than  a  mere  formality ;  but,  as  soon  as  the 
ship  had  gone,  they  were  replaced  by  others. 

Mr.  John  J.  King,  master's  mate,  was  now  directed  to 
take  command  of  the  N"ew  Zealander ;  and,  after  taking 
on  board  all  the  oil  from  the  other  prizes,  to  proceed  to 
the  United  States. 


196  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 


CHAPTEE  XIII. 

0  APT.  Porter  had  hoped  that  no  occasion  would  occur 
to  carry  out  his  threat  against  the  Typees  ;  but  the  Taeehs, 
the  Happahs  and  Shouemes  made  urgent  complaints  of  the 
insults  and  aggressions  of  the  Typees.  They  had  threat- 
ened to  drive  one  tribe  off  their  land,  and  they  had  thrown 
stones  and  otherwise  insulted  individuals  of  other  tribes. 
These  were  not  very  serious  offenses,  and  likely  not  more 
than  they  had  done  before  ;  but  the  Taeehs  and  Happahs 
became  very  solicitous  for  war,  and  began  to  utter  loud 
complaints,  that  (as  all  the  other  tribes  on  the  island  had 
formed  an  alliance  with  the  Americans)  the  Typees  should 
be  tolerated  in  their  insolence,  and  excused  from  supply- 
ing them  as  the  rest  had  done.  The  more  distant  tribes 
had  now  discontinued  bringing  in  their  supplies,  and  the 
others  had  fallen  off'  considerably,  complaining  that  the 
Americans  had  nearly  exhausted  all  their  stock,  while  the 
Typees  were  enjoying  abundance.  "Lead  us  to  the 
Typees,"  they  said,  "  and  we  shall  be  able  to  furnish  you 
from  their  valley.  You  have  long  threatened  them,  their 
insults  have  been  great,  you  have  promised  to  protect  us 
against  them,  and  yet  permit  them  to  offer  violence  to  us ; 
and  while  you  have  made  every  other  tribe  tributary,  you 
permit  the  Typees  to  triumph  with  impunity.  Our  canoes 
are  in  readiness,  our  warriors  impatient,  and  for  less  pro- 
vocation had  you  not  been  here,  we  should  have  engaged 
in  hostilities.  Let  us  punish  these  Typees  and  bring  them 
to  the  same  terms  to  which  we  have  agreed;  and  the 
whole  island  will  then  be  at  peace." 

These  were  the  sentiments  expressed  by  the  Taeehs  and 
Happahs ;  but  Tavee  seemed  determined  to  remain  neutral, 
he  was  separated  from  the  Taeehs,  by  the  valley  of  the 
Typees ;  and  they  had  it  in  their  power  to  retort  on  him 
at  will,  and  so  in  spite  of  his  grievances  Tavee  was  unwill- 
ing to  go  to  war. 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         197 

Finding  it  absolutely  necessary  for  his  own  salvation,  to 
bring  about  a  conflict,  Porter  on  the  27th  ITovember,  in- 
formed his  allies  that  he  should  commence  hostilities  next 
day,  and  directed  Gattanewa  to  proceed  on  board  the 
Essex  junior,  with  two  persons  who  were  to  be  sent  to  the 
Typees  on  the  arrival  of  the  ship  in  their  bay,  to  offer  them 
the  same  terms  as  had  been  accepted  by  the  other  tribes. 
The  Essex  junior  sailed  in  the  afternoon;  and  next  morn- 
ing, at  three  o'clock,  Captain  Porter  proceeded  with  ^ve 
boats,  well  manned  and  armed,  accompanied  by  ten  war 
canoes,  the  natives  blowing  their  conchs  as  a  signal  to 
keep  together.  At  sunrise  they  arrived  at  the  Typee  land- 
ing, where  they  were  joined  by  ten  war  canoes  from  the 
Happahs,  and  the  Essex  junior,  which  anchored  oft  the 
landing.  The  tops  of  the  neighboring  mountains  were 
covered  with  Taeehs  and  Happahs,  armed  with  spears, 
clubs  and  slings ;  and  the  beach  was  thronged  with  war- 
riors, who  had  come  in  the  canoes  or  joined  them  from  the 
hills.  The  whole  force  amounted  to  at  least  five  thousand 
men,  but  not  a  sign  of  the  Typees  could  be  seen.  Back 
of  the  beach  was  a  small  level  plain,  backed  by  an  im- 
penetrable thicket  and  the  only  approach  to  habitations 
seemed  to  be  a  narrow  pathway  leading  through  the 
swamp.  The  boats  and  canoes  were  drawn  up  on  the 
beach,  and  Lieut.  Downes  landed  with  fifteen  men,  which, 
with  the  twenty  from  the  Essex,  were  supposed  to  be 
sufficient  to  bring  the  Typees  to  terms. 

We  give  the  account  of  this  affair  pretty  much  in  Capt. 
Porter's  own  words,  as  injustice  would  be  done  by  any 
material  abridgment. 

In  the  meantime  the  Typees  had  appeared  in  the 
bushes,  and  pelted  the  invaders  with  stones  while  eating 
breakfast,  but  without  doing  any  damage.  One  of  the 
ambassadors  (who  having  married  a  Typee  woman,  was  a 
privileged  character  among  the  hostile  natives)  was  sent 
under  a  white  flag  to  inform  the  Typees  that  Opotee  had 
come  prepared  to  offer  them  peace  or  war ;  all  he  required 
was,  that  they  should  submit  to  the  same  terms  as  had 
been  complied  with  by  the  other  tribes ;  and  that  their 
friendship  would  be  much  more  pleasing  to  him,  than  any 
satisfaction  he  expected  to  derive  from  chastising  them. 


198  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

The  ambassador  returned  to  tlie  beach  in  a  very  few 
moments,  the  picture  of  terror,  and  reported  that  he  had 
met  an  ambuscade  in  the  bushes ;  and  that  the  Typees, 
regardless  of  his  flag  of  truce,  had  driven  him  back  threat- 
ening him  with  death  if  he  again  ventured  among  them. 
At  this  moment  a  shower  of  stones  from  the  bushes  con- 
firmed the  ambassador's  story  and  a  native  darted  across 
the  pathway,  who  was  knocked  over  by  a  shot  through 
the  leg  and  carried  ofi*  by  his  friends;  war  had  now  com- 
menced in  earnest,  and  the  order  was  given  to  march. 

The  brave  Mouina  had  already  forgotten  the  difficulty 
between  himself  and  Captain  Porter,  or  else  his  love  of 
fighting  had  overcome  his  ill  humor,  and  he  placed  him- 
self as  usual  in  advance.  On  entering  the  bushes,  the 
party  was  assailed  by  spears  and  stones,  which  came  in  all 
directions  from  difierent  bands  of  the  enemy  lying  in 
ambush.  The  snapping  of  slings,  and  the  whizzing  of 
stones  and  spears,  was  incessant,  but  not  an  enemy  could 
be  seen  or  the  sound  of  a  voice  heard.  To  remain  still 
would  have  been  fatal  to  the  Americans  ;  to  have  retreated 
would  have  convinced  the  natives  of  their  incapacity,  and 
the  only  safety  for  our  people  was  to  advance,  and  clear 
the  thicket,  which  they  were  informed  was  of  no  great 
extent. 

The  attacking  party  had  advanced  about  a  mile,  and 
had  received  no  injury  nor  had  they  inflicted  any  on  the 
Typees,  so  far  as  they  knew;  although  a  scattering  fire 
had  been  kept  up  on  the  enemy  as  they  darted  from  tree 
to  tree.  At  last  they  reached  a  small  opening  on.  the 
bank  of  a  river,  whence  from  a  thicket  on  the  opposite 
side,  a  stone  was  thrown  which  shattered  the  bone  of  Lieut. 
Downes's  leg.  Parties  of  the  enemy,  in  ambush,  had 
been  left  in  the  rear,  as  it  was  impossible  to  dislodge 
them,  and  to  trust  the  wounded  officer  to  his  native  allies 
to  take  to  a  place  of  safety,  would  be  hazarding  too  much  ; 
while  Capt.  Porter  was  fearful  of  weakening  his  own  force 
by  detaching  any  part  of  it  as  an  escort.  To  have  turned 
back,  would  have  been  considered  by  every  native  as  an 
acknowledgment  of  defeat.  So  far,  the  allied  tribes  had 
stood  silent  spectators  of  the  scene;  waiting,  no  doubt,  to 
take  sides  with  the  stronger  party.     The  mountain  sides 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  199 

were  thronged  with  Happahs,  whose  fidelity  the  Ameri- 
cans, as  well  as  the  Taaehs,  had  good  reason  to  doubt.  A 
defeat  would  no  doubt  have  sealed  the  destruction  of  the 
Americans ;  and  Porter  now  found  that  he  had  come  with 
inadequate  means  to  reduce  the  Typees ;  having  received 
erroneous  impressions  regarding  the  country  through  which 
he  must  pass.  There  was  no  other  alternative  but  to  go 
on ;  something  was  necessary  to  convince  all  the  tribes  of 
American  superiority;  the  accompanying  Indians  were 
dropping  oiFand  no  time  was  to  be  lost  in  deliberating. 

Mr.  Shaw  with  four  men  was  now  directed  to  escort 
Lieut.  Downes  to  the  beach  ;  and  this,  with  the  party  left 
to  guard  the  boats,  reduced  the  sailors  and  marines  to 
twenty-four,  who  pushed  rapidly  forward.  The  allies  had 
fallen  off  wonderfully,  and  even  Mouina  hung  back.  While 
he  had  kept  in  advance,  he  was  of  great  service ;  for,  by 
the  astonishing  quickness  of  his  eye,  he  had  put  those  be- 
hind him  on  their  guard,  and  enabled  them  to  elude  the 
shower  of  stones  and  spears ;  but  now  they  came  so  thick 
that  even  he  had  to  retire  to  avoid  them. 

The  Americans  soon  reached  the  ford  in  the  river  ;  on 
the  opposite  side  of  which,  the  Typees,  in  great  numbers, 
made  a  stand  in  the  thick  bushes,  and  discharged  a  shower 
of  missiles  on  the  invaders.  Here  the  advance  was  checked 
for  a  few  moments,  the  banks  of  the  river  being  steep  their 

^  retreat  would  have  been  difficult  and  dangerous  in  case  of 
a  repulse.  The  stream  was  deep  and  rapid,  and  the  at- 
tempt to  ford  hazardous,  on  account  of  the  exposed  situa- 
tion of  the  men  crossing  in  face  of  a  thousand  savages. 
Finding  it  impossible  to  dislodge  the  natives  with  musketry, 
Capt.  Porter  ordered  the  men  to  fire  a  volley,  and  dash 
across  the  river ;  and  with  three  hearty  cheers  the  sailors 
gained  the  opposite  bank. 

The  march  was  now  still  more  difficult,  for  the  under- 
wood was  so  interlaced  that  it  was  sometimes  necessary 
for  the  men  to  crawl  on  their  hands  and  knees  to  get  for- 
ward, all  the  time  harassed  by  the  irrepressible  Typees. 
Only  Mouina  and  two  of  his  men  had  kept  up  with  the 
Americans,  the  rest  of  the  allies  had  halted  on  the  bank  of 

'  the  river. 

They  now   reached  a  small  clearing,  free  of  trees   or 


200  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

bushes,  the  natives  had  ceased  to  annoy  them,  and  they 
hoped  soon  to  arrive  at  the  Typee  village,  which  was  but  a 
short  distance  ahead.  But  their  joy  was  of  short  duration, 
for  they  soon  perceived  a  strong  and  extensive  wall,  seven 
feet  in  height,  crowning  an  eminence  covering  the  road, 
and  flanked  on  each  side  by  an  impenetrable  thicket,  from 
which  they  were  assailed  with  such  showers  of  stones  min- 
gled with  horrid  yells  as  left  no  doubt  on  their  minds  that 
this  was  the  Typee  stronghold.  The  Americans  were  now 
in  an  awkward  position,  exposed  to  the  missiles  of  the 
enemy  without  any  adequate  shelter.  Capt.  Porter,  Lieut. 
Gamble  and  Surgeon  Hoffman,  from  behind  a  tree,  were 
enabled  to  annoy  the  Typees  as  they  appeared  above  the 
wall  to  throw  their  missiles.  Tliese  were  the  only  muskets 
that  could  be  employed  to  advantage,  the  rest  keeping  up 
a  scattering  fire  without  effect.  Orders  were  now  given  to 
storm  the  fort,  but  it  was  found  that  some  of  the  men  had 
expended  their  ammunition,  and  none  of  them  had  mor5 
than  four  or  i^ve  cartridges  remaining.  This  news  threw 
a  damper  on  the  whole  party,  for  without  ammunition 
their  weapons  were  inferior  to  those  of  the  savages.  They 
could  neither  advance  nor  retreat  with  safety ;  and  their 
only  chance  was  to  hold  their  ground,  until  a  fresh  supply 
of  ammunition  could  arrive. 

Lieut.  Gamble  and  four  men  were  therefore  dispatched 
to  the  beach  to  procure  from  the  Essex  junior  a  fresh 
supply ;  and  Capt.  Porter  and  his  remaining  companions 
were  now  kept  busy  in  eluding  the  stones  which  flew  in 
every  direction.  Fortunately,  the  natives  fought  accord- 
ing to  their  established  tactics,  never  sallying  out,  or  ex- 
posing themselves  to  capture.  If  they  had  made  a  rush  at 
this  time,  the  Americans  would  probably  have  been  over- 
powered ;  but  the  latter  keeping  up  an  occasional  fire  to 
show  that  they  had  no  intention  of  retreating,  kept  the 
Typees  in  check. 

The  number  of  the  Americans  was  now  reduced  to  nine- 
teen, and  Capt.  Porter  was  the  only  officer  left ;  all  the 
allies  had  deserted  except  the  brave  Mouina ;  and,  to  add 
to  their  troubles,  three  of  the  men  had  been  knocked  over 
with  stones.  Mouina  begged  Porter  to  retreat,  crying 
*'  mattee,  mattee,"  and  the  wounded  entreated  him  to  per- 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         201 

mit  their  comrades  to  carry  them  to  the  beach ;  but  this 
was  out  of  the  question,  though  there  seemed  to  be 
no  hope  of  success  with  so  small  a  force,  while  the  Tjpees 
remained  in  their  stronghold ;  and  the  Captain,  therefore, 
determined  to  draw  them  out  by  a  feigned  retreat,  and  by 
this  means  gain  some  advantage,  for  he  believed  that 
to  return  without  this  would  have  rendered  an  attack 
from  the  Happahs  certain.  These  people  had  no  doubt 
deceived  him  all  along,  and  had  led  him  through  the 
most  difficult  passes,  hoping  to  get  the  Americans  in 
a  position  where  all  parties  could  attack  them  with  a  cer- 
tainty of  success.  Never  was  a  man  placed  in  a  more 
difficult  position ;  but  Capt.  Porter's  coolness  and  self  pos- 
session did  not  for  a  moment  desert  him.  He  ordered  the 
wounded  to  be  taken  charge  of,  and  for  all  to  run  to  the 
rear  until  concealed  by  the  bushes.  As  the  men  retreated 
the  natives  rushed  after  them  with  hideous  yells.  The 
first  and  second  to  advance  were  killed  at  a  distance  of  a 
few  paces,  and  those  who  attempted  to  carry  them  off 
were  wounded;  whereupon,  they  abandoned  their  dead, 
and  precipitately  retreated. 

Taking  advantage  of  the  confusion  into  which  the 
Typees  were  thrown,  the  Americans  fell  back  across  the 
river  with  their  wounded ;  they  were  scarcely  over  the 
stream,  when  the  natives  again  attacked  them ;  but  this 
did  not  prevent  the  Americans  from  returning  to  the 
beach.  They  were  much  fatigued  with  marching  and  fight- 
ing, and  had  now  learned  to  hold  their  enemy  in  more 
respect,  as  by  no  means  contemptible  antagonists,  and  to 
properly  appreciate  the  difficulties  to  be  overcome  in 
reaching  them. 

On  his  arrival  at  the  beach,  Capt.  Porter  found  a  rein- 
forcement of  men  from  the  Essex  junior,  together  with  a 
supply  of  ammunition.  He  was  desirous  of  sounding  the 
Typees,  before  proceeding  to  further  extremities,  as  also 
to  impress  the  allies  with  the  idea  that  he  could  carry  all 
before  him  ;  assuming  the  air  and  manner  of  a  conqueror, 
although  he  says  he  felt  very  little  like  one. 

One  of  the  ambassadors  was  now  directed  to  proceed 
to  the  Typee  stronghold,  to  tell  the  enemy  that  with  a 
handful  of  men  he  had  driven  them  into  their  fort;  that 
26 


202  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

he  had  killed  and  wounded  several  of  their  party,  and  now 
had  sufficient  force  on  shore  to  drive  them  out  of  their 
valley ;  but  not  wishing  to  injure  them,  he  would  still 
grant  them  the  terms  first  proposed.  The  Typees  sent 
back  word  to  Opotee,  that  they  had  killed  his  chief  war- 
rior (Lieut.  Downes),  and  wounded  several  of  his  people, 
compelling  him  to  retreat.  It  was  true,  they  said,  he  had 
killed  two  of  them  and  wounded  many  others,  but  con- 
sidering their  superior  numbers  what  was  this  compared 
to  the  injury  done  to  the  Americans.  The  Typees  had 
plenty  of  men  to  spare,  the  Americans  had  not.  If  the 
latter  were  able  to  drive  them  from  the  valley,  what  was 
the  use  of  telling  them  about  it;  they  would  only  believe 
it  when  they  saw  it  done.  They  said  they  were  as  well 
acquainted  with  the  number  of  Porter's  men  as  himself; 
they  knew  their  own  strength  and  the  numbers  they  could 
oppose,  and  held  the  bouhies  in  more  contempt  than 
ever ;  they  frequently  missed  fire,  rarely  killed,  and  the 
wounds  they  inflicted  were  not  nearly  so  painful  as  those 
of  a  spear  or  stone;  and  they  knew  that  the  bouhies 
would  be  perfectly  useless  if  it  came  on  to  rain.  They 
dared  the  Americans  to  renew  the  contest,  and  assured 
them  they  would  not  retreat  beyond  the  fort  where  the 
latter  had  left  them.  As  the  men  were  overcome  with 
fatigue,  and  discouraged  by  the  formidable  appearance 
of  the  fortress,  Capt.  Porter  determined  to  leave  the  Ty- 
pees for  the  present,  but  meditated  a  severe  punishment 
for  them  in  the  future. 

The  Happahs  had  now  descended  the  hills  with  their 
arms ;  the  Shouemes  also  appeared,  and  "  the  Typees 
have  driven  the  white  men  "  was  the  burden  of  their  con- 
versation. The  handful  of  Americans  were  surrounded  by 
several  thousand  Indians  upon  whose  professions  of  friend- 
ship they  could  not  rely.  Everybody  was  now  directed  to 
go  on  board  the  Essex  junior  ;  but  they  had  hardly  reached 
the  ship,  when  the  Typees  rushed  from  their  cover  and  drove 
the  allies  into  their  canoes  or  into  the  water ;  upon  seeing 
this  Capt.  Porter  and  his  men  again  pulled  towards  the 
shore,  causing  the  enemy  to  beat  a  precipitate  retreat. 
When  the  allies  in  turn  pursued  them,  knocking  over  one 
of  the  Typee  warriors,  whose  body  they  carried  off  in 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  203 

triumph.  Seeing  that  the  Typees  would  not  face  his  men 
in  a  clear  space,  and  being  disgusted  with  bush  fighting, 
Porter  returned  with  the  boats  to  Massachusetts  bay,  and 
was  followed  by  the  Essex  junior. 

The  behavior  of  the  friendly  tribes,  and  particularly  the 
Happahs,  after  the  supposed  defeat  of  the  Americans,  con- 
vinced Porter  that  he  had  no  alternative  but  to  prove  his 
superiority  by  defeating  the  Typees ;  for  it  was  obvious 
that  the  whole  of  the  tribes  would  soon  join  the  conquering 
side,  as  is  the  custom  with  savages,  and  the  safety  of  the 
Americans  as  well  as  the  interests  of  the  government 
would  be  compromised  b}^  any  failure  to  renew  hostilities. 
So  selecting  two  hundred  men  from  the  vessels,  he  directed 
them  to  be  ready  to  start  at  daylight  next  morning,  and 
cautioned  every  one  to  secrecy  not  wishing  to  be  annoyed 
by  the  presence  of  his  native  allies,  whom  he  had  found 
worse  than  useless.  Finding  that  the  boats  were  leaking 
so  as  to  be  unfit  to  carry  the  party,  he  had  the  men  landed 
that  night,  and  as  the  moon  shone  brightly  he  hoped  to  be 
at  the  Typee  valley  long  before  daylight. 

Supposing  he  would  not  be  accompanied  by  many  natives, 
Porter  hoped,  by  moving  noiselessly,  to  surprise  the  Typees 
and  take  some  prisoners,  which  would  probably  bring  the 
enemy  to  terms,  and  avoid  the  ne(?essity  of  bloodshed. 
The  crew  of  the  Essex  composed  the  main  body,  the  scout- 
ing parties  from  the  other  vessels  being  headed  by  their 
respective  officers.  Gattanewa  and  his  people  were  now 
notified,  that  they  might  not  be  alarmed  at  the  warlike 
movements. 

The  advance  was  directed  to  halt  on  top  of  the  mountain 
and  await  the  coming  of  the  main  body.  Several  gave  out 
before  they  reached  the  summit,  which  was  attained  with 
great  difficulty ;  but  after  rest  and  refreshment,  as  it  was 
bright  moonlight,  and  the  guides  informed  him  (very  in- 
correctly as  it  turned  out),  that  they  were  not  more  than 
six  miles  from  the  enemy,  he  gave  the  order  to  march  on. 
Several  Taeehs  had  joined  the  party,  but  silence  had  been 
enjoined  upon  them  as  they  were  under  the  necessity  of 
passing  a  Happah  village,  and  were  fearful  that  the  Hap- 
pahs would  discover  them,  and  give  information  to  the 
Typees.     i*[ot  a  whisper  was  heard  along  the  line.     The 


204  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

guides  marching  in  front  and  the  sailors  and  marines  fol- 
lowing in  silence,  up  and  down  the  rocky  sides  of  the 
mountains,  through  swamps  and  thickets,  across  streams 
and  along  the  sides  of  precipices,  which  made  the  adven- 
turous crew  shudder. 

At  midnight  the  drum  was  heard  beating  in  the  Typee 
camp,  and  the  singing  and  lights  in  the  village  gave  the 
impression  that  the  enemy  were  rejoicing.  The  guides 
said  they  were  celebrating  the  victory  over  the  Americans, 
and  calling  on  their  gods  to  give  rain  and  render  the  bou- 
hies  useless. 

The  party  had  now  arrived  at  the  pathway  leading  into 
the  Typee  valley,  but  the  guides  insisting  that  it  was  im- 
possible to  descend  the  mountain  without  daylight,  as  it 
was  almost  perpendicular,  and  that  in  many  places  it  would 
be  necessary  to  lower  themselves  down  with  great  caution, 
Porter  concluded  to  await  patiently  the  return  of  day. 
Experience  had  shown  him  that  when  the  Indians  con- 
sidered the  roads  bad,  they  were  really  so ;  and  as  the  men 
were  very  much  adverse  to  risking  their  necks  any  longer 
at  night,  he  concluded  to*  follow  the  advice  of  the  natives, 
treacherous  as  they  might  be. 

Capt.  Porter  was  now  in  what  he  considered  a  good 
position,  being  in  possession  of  the  pathway  to  the  valley, 
he  could  prevent  the  Happahs  from  giving  the  Typees  any 
intelligence  of  his  approach.  He  was  on  a  narrow  ridge 
separating  the  valleys  of  the  two  tribes,  well  situated  to 
guard  against  an  attack  from  either;  and  to  add  to  the 
convenience  of  the  situation,  there  was  a  stream  of  water 
not  far  distant.  Guards  were  posted  and  all  laid  down  to 
sleep  on  their  arms. 

The  Captain  had  fallen  into  a  doze  when  a  native  came 
to  inform  him  that  it  was  now  coming  on  to  rain  very 
heavy,  and  as  he  expressed  it,  it  would  "  mattee  mattee 
bouhie."  This  appearance  of  rain  caused  loud  shouts 
in  the  Typee  valley,  and  drums  were  beating  in  every 
direction.  The  men  were  enjoined  to  take  great  care  of 
their  arms  and  ammunition  but  from  the  torrents  of  rain 
that  soon  poured  down,  little  hope  was  entertained  that 
any  ammunition  could  be  kept  dry.  The  Captain  spent  a 
most  anxious  and  disagreeable  night.     A  cold  and  piercing 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         205 

wind  accompanied  the  deluge  (for  it  could  be  called  no- 
thing else),  and  chilled  every  one  to  the  heart.  Without 
room  to  keep  themselves  warm  by  moving  about,  fearful 
of  stirring  lest  they  should  be  precipitated  into  eternity 
down  the  steep  sides  of  the  mountain,  which  had  become  so 
slippery  that  none  could  keep  their  feet,  all  anxiously 
waited  for  the  morning. 

The  dawn  of  day  was  a  welcome  sight,  although  the 
wind  and  rain  still  continued,  and  great  apprehensions 
were  felt  concerning  the  fate  of  the  ammunition.  With 
such  good  excuses  a  man  of  weaker  nerves  and  less  de- 
termination than  Capt.  Porter,  would  have  turned  back. 
Every  one  was  drenched  to  the  skin  and  the  natives  kept 
exclaiming  that  the  muskets  were  spoiled,  and  wishing  the 
Americans  to  retreat  while  there  was  yet  time ;  but,  not- 
withstanding his  own  misgivings,  the  Captain  endeavored 
to  impress  them  with  the  belief  that  water  could  do  the 
muskets  no  injury.  On  careful  examination  he  found  that 
while  the  muskets  were  tolerably  dry,  more  than  half  the 
ammunition  was  unfit  for  service. 

I^ow  that  it  was  light  enough  to  look  into  the  Typee 
valley,  the  Americans  were  astonished  to  see  the  great 
height  they  were  elevated  and  the  steepness  of  the  mount- 
ain they  would  have  to  descend.  The  narrow  pathway 
soon  disappeared  among  the  cliffs,  and  the  natives  pro- 
nouncing the  descent  impossible  on  account  of  the  slippery 
condition  of  the  ground,  and  as  the  men  were  worn  out 
with  hunger,  cold  and  fatigue,  the  Captain  determined  to 
take  up  his  quarters  in  the  Happah  village  until  the  next 
day,  by  which  time  it  was  hoped  they  would  be  refreshed 
and  the  weather  become  more  favorable.  Before  leaving 
the  hill,  a  volley  was  fired  to  show  the  natives  that  the 
muskets  had  not  been  injured  by  the  rain;  for  it  was  be- 
lieved that  the  Happahs,  under  a  contrary  impression, 
would  not  have  hesitated  to  attack  them;  besides  he 
wished  to  give  the  Typees  timely  notice  of  his  approach 
that  they  might  remove  their  women  and  children  and 
most  valuable  effects  to  a  place  of  safety ;  for,  although  he 
felt  it  necessary  to  chastise  them  into  submission,  he  wished 
to  prevent  the  innocent  from  suffering  at  the  hands  of  his 
native  allies.     Besides  he  still  hoped  to  terrify  the  Typees 


206  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

into  peaceful  submission  by  a  show  of  i'orce,  a  wrong 
idea  as  it  seems,  for  he  had  certainly  ample  proof  of  the 
determination  of  the  Typees  not  to  surrender  without  a 
struggle. 

"When  the  volley  was  fired,  the  Typees,  who  had  appar- 
ently no  suspicion  of  the  proximity  of  the  Americans, 
shouted,  beat  their  drums  and  blew  their  war  conchs 
from  one  end  of  the  valley  to  the  other,  and  what  with  the 
squealing  of  the  hogs  which  were  now  being  caught  up  for 
removal  to  a  place  of  safety,  the  screams  of  the  women 
and  children,  and  the  yells  of  the  warriors,  the  din  was 
frightful. 

The  party  now  descended  with  great  difficulty  to  the 
Happah  village  and  proceeded  to  the  public  square,  around 
which  were  several  houses  that  had  been  vacated  on 
their  account,  and  in  which  the  officers  and  men  were 
quartered,  the  American  ensign  being  hoisted  in  front 
of  the  building  selected  by  the  Captain  for  his  own  use 
Guards  being  stationed,  such  of  the  party  as  needed  it 
retired  to  sleep,  and  after  the  arduous  work  of  the  preced- 
ing night  there  were  few  who  did  not  require  rest.  There 
was,  however,  no  sign  of  provisions,  nor  did  the  natives 
seem  disposed  to  accomodate  their  quasi  allies  beyond 
vacating  certain  houses,  which  had  been  stripped  of  their 
contents,  leaving  the  Americans  to  shift  for  themselves  as 
best  they  could.  The  Captain  called  for  a  mat  to  sleep  on, 
but  it  was  long  before  one  could  be  found;  he  asked  for  a 
piece  of  cloth  to  wrap  around  his  loins  while  his  clothes 
were  drying,  but  it  was  with  difficulty  procured.  The 
men  were  hungry  although  the  valley  abounded  with  hogs 
and  fruit. 

The  Happahs  now  began  to  assemble  armed  with  clubs 
and  spears,  while  the  women  seemed  to  be  gradually  re- 
tiring. Everything  bore  the  appearance  of  hostile  dis- 
position on  the  part  of  the  Happahs,  and  the  friendly 
Taeehs  cautioned  the  Americans  to  be  on  their  guard. 
All  the  Americans  were  now  directed  to  keep  their  arras 
in  their  hands,  ready  to  assemble  at  a  moment's  warning. 
The  chief  of  the  Happahs  was  summoned  and  asked  if  he 
was  disposed  to  be  friendly,  it  was  necessary  that  the  Ame- 
ricans should  have  something  to  eat,  and  in  default  of  the 


Memoik  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         207 

Happahs  furnishing  supplies,  they  would  be  obliged  to 
shoot  the  hogs  and  cut  down  the  fruit  trees  as  they  could 
not  climb  them.  The  Captain  also  demanded  that  the 
Happahs  should  lay  aside  their  arms;  but  as  no  notice  was 
taken  of  any  of  his  demands,  he  caused  their  clubs  and 
spears  to  be  taken  from  them  and  broken ;  and  parties  to 
be  sent  out  to  shoot  hogs  and  cut  down  the  fruit  trees, 
and  a  sufficient  supply  of  provisions  was  soon  obtained. 

The  Happahs  now  became  intimidated  and  commenced 
to  bring  in  an  abundance  of  provisions,  the  women  re- 
turned to  the  village  and  friendship  was  reestablished. 

That  night  proper  lookouts  were  posted,  and  fires  lighted 
before  each  house ;  all  not  on  guard  devoted  themselves  to 
sleep  ;  and  at  daylight  the  line  of  march  was  again  formed, 
every  man  fresh  and  vigorous,  and  each  supplied  with 
provisions  for  the  day.  On  ascending  the  ridge  where  the 
party  had  spent  such  a  disagreeable  night,  they  halted  to 
take  breath,  and  view  for  a  few  moments  the  beautiful 
valley  which  was  soon  to  become  a  scene  of  desolation. 
The  valley  was  about  nine  miles  in  length  by  three  or  four 
in  breadth,  and  everywhere  surrounded  by  rugged  mount- 
ains, except  towards  the  sea.  The  upper  end  was  closed 
by  a  precipice,  several  hundred  feet  in  height,  from  which 
fell  a  stream  of  water  forming  a  beautiful  cascade,  which, 
meandering  through  the  valley,  discharged  itself  into  the 
sea  at  the  beach  where  they  first  landed.  Villages  were 
scattered  here  and  there,  interspersed  with  bread  fruit  and 
cocoa  nut  trees,  which  fiourished  in  great  luxuriance.  Well 
ordered  plantations  surrounded  by  stone  walls  dotted  the 
landscape  here  and  there.  Everything  indicated  industry, 
abundance  and  happiness,  and  no  wonder  that  Capt.  Porter 
felt  great  repugnance  against  the  necessity  which  compelled 
him  to  make  war  against  this  happy  and  heroic  people. 

Perhaps,  some  may  censure  Capt.  Porter's  conduct ;  may 
question  his  motives,  and  deny  the  necessity  which  com- 
pelled him  to  war  against  the  Typees  ;  but  when  we  reflect 
on  his  peculiar  situation,  with  a  handful  of  men  among 
numerous  warlike  tribes,  who  kept  faith  only  when  it 
seemed  to  be  their  interest  to  do  so,  we  can  readily  per- 
ceive from  what  had  already  occurred,  that  he  had 
either  to  attack  the  Typees  or  be  attacked  by  them,  and  a 


208  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

constant  warfare  be  maintained  while  he  stayed  at  the 
island.  The  Typees  had  positively  refused  to  be  on 
friendly  terms  with  the  Americans,  and  had  abused  and 
insulted  their  friends  whenever  an  opportunity  offered ; 
and  the  latter  were  anticipating  further  ill  treatment,  when 
the  ships  should  depart  from  the  island. 

Hostilities  had  now  commenced,  and  the  Typees  believed 
they  had  obtained  a  great  advantage,  an  idea  which  was 
somewhat  shared  in  by  the  other  tribes.  A  mere  shadow  of 
a  treaty  connected  him  with  the  others,  which,  once  broken, 
his  destruction  was  inevitable,  unless  the  sailors  could 
manage  to  retreat  to  their  ships  and  sail  away,  leaving  future 
Americans  who  should  visit  the  island  to  suffer  for  their 
want  of  courage.  As  long  as  the  natives  believed  them 
invincible,  they  would  be  their  friends ;  as  soon  as  their 
power  and  valor  were  doubted,  instead  of  war  with 
the  Typees,  they  would  have  to  contend  with  the  whole 
island.  The  Happahs  considered  themselves  a  conquered 
tribe,  and  the  others,  if  not  conquered  by  American  arms, 
were  so  by  the  apprehension  of  them.  If  they  were  once 
satisfied  that  the  Typees  could  keep  the  sailors  at  bay, 
they  would  have  considered  the  united  force  of  the  islanders 
strong  enough  to  drive  the  Americans  into  the  sea.  A 
coalition  against  the  Americans  would  have  been  fatal,  and 
it  was  necessary,  in  Porter's  judgment,  to  bring  on  a  con- 
flict before  the  Typees  could  come  to  an  understanding 
with  the  other  tribes.  By  placing  all  on  the  same  footing, 
he  hoped  to  bring  about  a  general  peace  and  secure  the 
future  tranquility  of  the  island. 

However  Porter  might  regret  the  harshness  with  which, 
from  motives  of  self  preservation,  he  was  compelled  to  treat 
this  high-spirited  people,  his  conscience  acquitted  him  of 
any  injustice ;  and  no  excesses  were  committed,  except 
what  the  Typees  had  it  in  their  power  to  stop  by  a  ces- 
sation of  hostilities.  Had  they  wished  for  peace,  they  need 
never  have  had  war ;  but  proud  of  their  reputation  as  the 
greatest  warriors  on  the  island,  they  believed  themselves 
invincible,  and  hoped  to  insult  all  others  with  impunity. 
It  is  the  history  of  savages  the  world  over;  they  must  be 
made  to  feel  the  strong  hand  of  power,  and  their  vicious 
instincts  are  only  controlled  by  the  presence  of  a  superior 
force. 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  209 

Perhaps,  they  could  have  advanced  equally  strong  argu- 
ments with  Porter  to  justify  their  own  proceedings ;  the 
strongest  of  which  was,  that  they  had  an  inalienable  right 
to  the  soil,  and  the  invader  had  no  business  on  the  island. 

While  the  Americans  were  looking  at  the  beautiful 
valley,  which  lay  at  their  feet,  a  large  assemblage  of  Ty- 
pee  warriors,  posted  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river 
which  ran  near  the  foot  of  the  mountains,  dared  them  to 
descend.  In  the  rear  of  the  strongly  posted  force  of  war- 
riors, was  a  fortified  village,  encompassed  by  strong  stone 
walls.  Drums  and  conchs  were  sounding  in  all  directions, 
and  the  Typees  were  evidently  making  every  effort  to  give 
their  assailants  a  warm  reception.  Mouina  now  offered  to 
lead  as  a  guide,  and  the  party  descended  the  mountain,  al- 
most as  difficult  a  feat  as  the  ascent.  On  reaching  the  foot  of 
the  mountain  the  Americans  were  saluted  with  showers  of 
stones  from  the  bushes  and  from  behind  the  stone  walls, 
but  as  they  were  now  able  to  shelter  themselves,  no  notice 
was  taken  of  the  attack,  as  they  could  not  afford  to  waste 
any  ammunition.  After  resting  a  few  moments  on  the 
bank  of  the  river,  the  scouting  parties  were  directed  to 
cross,  and  were  followed  by  the  main  body.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  Americans  were  much  annoyed  by  stones,  the  vil- 
lage was  taken  without  loss,  before  the  entire  party  w^ere 
over,  while  the  chief  warrior  and  another  Typee  were 
killed,  and  several  lay  wounded  on  the  ground.  The  natives 
retreated  to  stone  walls  built  on  higher  ground,  w^hence 
they  continued  to  sling  stones  and  hurl  spears,  and  three 
of  the  sailors  were  wounded  and  many  Typees  killed  before 
they  were  dislodged. 

Parties  were  sent  in  different  directions  to  scour  the 
woods,  and  another  fort  was  taken  after  some  resistance; 
but  the  attacking  party,  overpowered  by  numbers,  were 
obliged  to  retreat  to  the  main  body,  after  keeping  posses- 
sion half  an  hour.  The  main  body  awaited,  in  the  fort 
first  taken,  the  return  of  the  scouting  parties,  w^hile  a 
multitude  of  Taeehs  and  Happahs,  who  had  now  appeared 
on  the  scene,  were  searching  around  for  plunder. 

Lieut.  McKnight  was   in  possession  of  a  strong  wall, 
from  which  he  had  driven  the  enemy,  when  a  large  body 
27 


210  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

of  Typees  rushed  from  their  ambush,  past  his  fire,  and  into 
the  fort.  All  the  Taeehs  and  Happahs  took  to  their  heels. 
The  Typees  approached  within  pistol  shot,  but  on  the  first 
fire  from  the  sailors  retreated  precipitately,  crossing  the  fire 
of  Mr.  McKnight's  party,  and  although  none  of  the  enemy 
were  killed,  it  was  thought  that  many  were  wounded.  The 
spears  and  stones  were  flying  from  the  bushes  in  every 
direction,  and  although  many  of  the  Typees  were  killed 
and  wounded,  it  was  evident  that  the  Americans  would 
have  to  fight  their  way  all  through  the  valley,  since  the 
Typees  showed  an  indomitable  courage.  As  it  was  feared 
the  ammunition  would  run  short,  the  scouting  parties 
were  exhorted  to  be  more  careful ;  and  firing  was  forbid- 
den from  the  main  body,  unless  it  was  attacked  by  great 
numbers. 

A  party  of  sailors  was  now  left  to  guard  the  wounded, 
and  look  after  a  band  of  natives  in  ambush,  and  Mouina 
was  directed  to  lead  the  main  body  to  the  next  village  ; 
but  before  marching,  Capt.  Porter  sent  a  message  to  the 
Typees  that  he  would  cease  hostilities  when  they  no  longer 
made  resistance,  l^o  notice  was  taken  of  the  message,  and 
the  march  was  continued  up  the  valley,  past  several  beauti- 
ful villages  which  were  set  on  fire,  until  the  chief  village 
was  reached,  which  really  deserved  the  name  of  capital. 
The  Americans  had  been  obliged  to  contest  every  foot  of 
ground,  and  at  the  capital  met  with  renewed  opposition ; 
but  the  place  was  soon  carried,  and  Captain  Porter  re- 
luctantly gave  the  order  to  set  fire  to  it.  The  beauty  and 
regularity  of  this  village  struck  the  Americans  with 
astonishment,  and  the  public  square  was  finer  than  any- 
thing yet  seen  in  the  island.  Among  the  articles  here 
destroyed  were  several  large  and  elegant  new  war  canoes, 
a  large  number  of  drums,  and  some  of  the  native  gods ; 
while  the  allies  loaded  themselves  with  plunder,  after 
destroying  large  quantities  of  bread  fruit  trees*  and  young 
plants. 

The  party  had  now  arrived  at  the  upper  end  of  the 
valley,  about  nine  miles  from  the  beach,  and  at  the  foot  of 
the  waterfall  formerly  mentioned.  The  day  was  advancing, 
and  it  was  necessary  to  hasten  their  return  to  the  fort 
first  taken,  which  they  reached  after  an  absence  of  four 
hours,  leaving  behind  them  a  scene  of  desolation. 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         211 

It  was  hoped  that  the  Tjpees  would  abandon  the  idea 
of  farther  resistance;  but,  on  his  return  to  the  fort,  Capt. 
Porter  found  that  the  party  left  there  had  been  annoyed 
during  the  whole  time  of  his  absence,  but  being  short  of 
ammunition,  and  sheltered  from  the  stones,  they  had  not 
fired  on  the  natives.  This  fort  was  situated  exactly  half 
way  up  the  valley.  To  return  the  way  they  had  come, 
would  have  been  impossible,  it  was  therefore  necessary  to 
keep  on  down  to  the  beach,  where  it  was  represented  that 
the  difficulty  of  ascending  the  mountains  would  not  be  so 
great.  Many  of  the  men  were  exhausted  with  fatigue  and 
hunger,  and  a  halt  was  ordered  that  all  might  rest  and 
refresh  themselves  after  their  hard  day's  work. 

In  half  an  hour,  the  line  of  march  was  formed,  and  they 
proceeded  down  the  valley,  destroying  several  villages  on 
the  route,  at  all  of  which  places  they  met  with  continued 
resistance  from  the  Typees.  At  one  point  the  latter  rolled 
great  stones  down,  with  a  view  to  crush  the  invaders,  but 
did  not  succeed  in  doing  them  any  harm.  In  all,  ten 
villages  were  destroyed,  and  a  great  amount  of  plunder  was 
carried  off  by  the  native  allies,  as  they  called  themselves, 
for  the  Americans  were  too  busy  fighting  to  prevent  them, 
if  it  had  been  possible  to  do  so.  The  Typees  fought  to  the 
last,  and  even  attempted  to  harass  the  rear  as  it  returned 
towards  the  beach;  but,  by  leaving  parties  in  ambush  to 
attack  them,  they  soon  ceased  to  annoy. 

When  the  party  arrived  at  the  formidable  fort,  which 
had  checked  their  career  on  their  first  campaign  against 
the  Typees,  all  were  surprised  at  the  magnitude  and  beauty 
of  the  work.  It  was  about  fifty  yards  in  extent,  forming 
the  segment  of  a  circle,  and  was  built  of  stones,  six  feet 
thick  at  the  bottom,  and  gradually  narrowing  at  the  top  to 
give  strength  and  stability.  On  the  left,  was  an  entrance, 
barely  wide  enough  to  admit  one  person,  and  serving  as 
a  sally  port.  To  enter  this  from  the  outside,  it  was  neces- 
sary to  pass  directly  under  the  wall  for  one-half  its  length, 
as  an  impenetrable  thicket  prevented  the  approach  in  any 
other  direction.  The  wings  and  rear  were  equally  guarded, 
and  the  right  was  flanked  by  another  fortification,  of  equal 
strength  and  ingenuity.  It  will  be  seen  from  this,  that 
the  Typees  were  good  engineers  as  well  as  strategists  and 
fighters. 


212  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

In  their  fortifications  consisted  the  strength  of  the  Ty- 
pees;  their  usual  fighting  place  with  the  other  tribes,  was 
the  plain  near  the  beach,  and  although  they  had  frequently 
fought  the  combined  forces  of  several  tribes,  these  had 
never  succeeded  in  compelling  the  Typees  to  retire  beyond 
the  river,  which  was  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  fort. 

Thus  ended  the  expedition  against  the  Typees.  On  his 
arrival  at  the  beach,  Capt.  Porter  met  the  Shouemes  with 
a  white  flag,  and  full  of  professions,  together  with  the 
principal  chief  of  the  Happahs,  who  could  not  do  too  much 
for  his  American  alhes.  Gattanewa  met  his  friend  Opotee 
as  he  was  ascending  the  hill  side.  The  old  chief's  heart  was 
too  full  for  utterance;  he  placed  both  the  Captain's  hands 
on  his  head,  rested  his  own  forehead  on  his  knees,  remind- 
ing hirli  that  they  had  exchanged  names. 

Like  many  another  conqueror,  Porter  could  not  help  a 
feeling  of  regret  as  he  saw  from  the  top  of  the  mountain, 
the  scene  of  desolation  he  had  left  behind  him  —  where  in 
the  morning  all  was  abundance  and  happiness — now  a 
line  of  smoking  ruins  marked  the  path  of  the  invader,  from 
one  end  of  the  valley  to  the  other.  The  opposite  hills  were 
covered  with  the  unhappy  fugitives,  and  horror  and  destruc- 
tion were  on  every  hand.  It  was  on  a  small  scale,  but 
such  a  scene  as  many  of  us  have  witnessed  in  late  years, 
and  which  impresses  itself  on  the  mind  in  vivid  colors, 
that  time  cannot  efface. 

The  brave  Typees  deserved  a  better  fate,  though  they 
were  the  victims  of  their  own  mistaken  pride,  and  while 
the  instruments  of  their  punishment  pitied  their  misfor- 
tunes, thousands  of  their  own  countrymen  exulted  in  their 
distress,  showing  that  sympathy  is  an  element  that  is  only 
cultivated  by  the  refining  influence  of  civilization. 

The  party  reached  the  camp  quite  exhausted  with  fatigue, 
having  traveled,  for  three  days  and  a  half,  over  mountain- 
ous roads,  and  passing  over  a  distance  of  upwards  of  sixty 
miles.  Many  of  the  strongest  men  had  given  out  com- 
pletely and  Corporal  Mahan  died  of  over  exertion,  two  days 
after  his  return. 

The  next  day  a  messenger  was  sent  to  inform  the  Typees 
that  Capt.  Porter  was  still  inclined  to  make  peace,  and 
would  not  allow  them  to  return  to  their  valley,  until  they 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         213 

agreed  to  terms  of  friendship.  The  messenger,  on  his 
return,  reported  that  the  Typees  were  in  great  consterna- 
tion, and  desired  nothing  so  much  as  peace;  and  were 
willing  to  pay  any  price  for  the  friendship  of  the  Ameri- 
cans. They  promised  to  send  a  flag  of  truce  next  day. 
When  the  flag  arrived,  the  Captain  insisted  only  on  a  com- 
pliance with  the  conditions  formerly  ofl:ered,  namely,  an 
exchange  of  presents  and  peace  with  all  the  tribes,  to 
which  the  Typees  readily  agreed,  and  wished  to  know 
how  many  hogs  were  wanted,  as  they  had  lost  but  few,  and 
should  be  able  to  furnish  abundant  supplies.  Four  hun- 
dred hogs  were  required,  for  which  they  were  compen- 
sated with  the  customary  presents. 

All  the  chiefs  on  the  island  now  sent  in  large  presents 
of  provisions,  and  at  no  time  were  the  Americans  so 
abundantly  supplied.  Many  of  the  hogs  were  left  in  the 
valley  with  the  Taeehs,  when  the  Essex  departed,  as  a 
compensation  for  those  which  these  people  had  formerly 
supplied  to  the  Americans. 

The  utmost  harmony  now  prevailed  throughout  the 
island,  between  the  natives  and  the  Americans,  and  also 
between  the  different  tribes,  and  all  met  at  the  American 
village  in  the  most  friendly  manner ;  the  chiefs  and  priests 
of  the  tribes  making  daily  visits  to  head  quarters  ;  all  were 
pleased,  and  the  defeated  natives,  like  children,  soon  for- 
got their  griefs.  It  was  a  pleasure  to  the  natives  to  know 
that  they  could  now  go  anywhere  unmolested,  and  many 
of  the  oldest  men  assured  the  Americans,  that  they  had 
never  before  been  out  of  the  valley  in  which  they  were 
born.  They  repeatedly  expressed  their  astonishment,  that 
Captain  Porter  should  have  been  able  to  extend  his  influ- 
ence so  far,  in  so  short  a  time,  as  not  only  to  give  them 
complete  protection  in  the  valley  of  Tienhoy,  but  also 
among  tribes  with  whom  they  had  been  at  war  from  the 
earliest  period. 

Captain  Porter  informed  the  natives  that  he  should 
shortly  leave  them,  and  would  return  again  at  the  end  of  a 
year,  and  would  punish  any  of  them  whom  he  found  at 
war ;  but  all  assured  him  of  their  purpose  to  remain  on 
good  terms  with  the  Americans,  and  with  one  another. 

The  chiefs  and  principal  persons  of  the  different  tribes 


214  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

affected  to  be  very  solicitous  of  forming  a  relationship  with 
Porter,  by  exchanging  names  with  some  of  his  family. 
Some  wished  to  bear  the  name  of  a  brother,  or  brother-in- 
law,  or  son,  and  when  the  stock  of  masculine  names  was 
exhausted,  they  were  anxious  to  adopt  those  of  the  other 
sex.  The  name  of  his  son  was,  however,  most  in  demand, 
and  many  venerable  savages  were  honored  by  the  euphoni- 
ous appellation  of  "  Pickaneenee  Opotee,"  the  word  Picka- 
neenee  having  been  introduced  among  them  by  the  sailors 
of  ships,  that  had  touched  at  the  island. 

Thus  ended  the  Typee  war,  which  if  it  cannot  be  ranked 
with  the  invasion  of  Cortez,  formed  at  least  an  interesting 
episode  in  the  cruise  of  the  Essex ;  and  many  of  the  inci- 
dents of  the  campaign  are  spoken  of,  to  this  day,  by  the 
islanders;  having  been  handed  down,  by  tradition,  from 
father  to  son. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

1.  HE  refitting  of  the  Essex,  and  the  loading  of  the  New 
Zealander  with  oil,  from  the  Greenwich,  Seringapatam,  and 
Hammond,  now  rapidly  progressed ;  and  on  the  9th  of 
December,  1813,  all  the  provisions,  wood  and  water  were 
on  board.  The  decks  were  filled  with  hogs,  cocoa  nuts, 
and  bananas,  with  which  they  had  been  furnished  by  their 
]N'ookaheevan  friends,  who  seemed  anxious  that  the  Ameri- 
cans should  want  for  nothing,  that  it  was  in  their  power  to 
supply.  While  the  ships  had  been  lying  in  Massachusetts 
bay,  many  connexions  had  been  made  between  the  sailors 
and  the  fair  ones  on  shore  ;  and  the  former  really  regretted 
their  approaching  departure  from  a  people,  at  whose  hands 
they  had  received  so  much  kindness,- which  does  not  often 
fall  to  the  lot  of  a  man-of-war's  man. 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  215 

Captain  Porter  now  found  it  necessary  to  restrict  the 
liberty,  which  had  heretofore  been  so  freely  allowed ;  and 
gave  orders  that  every  one  should  remain  on  board,  work- 
ing late  and  early,  for  he  was  extremely  anxious  to  get  to 
sea.  ISTotwithstanding  these  orders,  three  of  the  crew  (de- 
termining to  have  a  parting  interview  with  the  young 
women  whom  they  had  enshrined  in  their  hearts),  swam 
ashore  in  the  night,  and  were  arrested  on  the  beach  and 
brought  back  to  the  ship  ;  for  knowing  the  character  of 
sailors  so  well,  the  Captain  had  taken  extra  precautions  to 
have  his  orders  carried  out.  The  unfortunate  Leanders 
were  at  once  placed  in  irons,  and  the  Captain  determined 
to  check  further  disobedience  by  inflicting  on  them  exem- 
plary punishment ;  so  next  morning,  after  giving  them  a 
lecture  in  regard  to  the  impropriety  of  their  conduct,  and 
their  meanness  in  making  so  poor  a  return  for  the  many 
indulgences  granted  them,  the  culprits  were  set  to  work 
with  their  irons  on  with  the  English  prisoners,  the  Captain 
not  wishing  to  resort  to  corporeal  punishment,  and  sorry 
that  circumstances  required  any  punishment  whatever. 
This  severity  excited  some  discontent  among  the  crew, 
many  of  whom  would  have  committed  the  same  offense 
had  opportunity  offered ;  but  this,  the  punishment  of  their 
three  shipmates,  effectually  prevented. 

Nookalieevah  had  many  attractions  for  a  sailor,  and  had 
part  of  the  crew  felt  disposed  to  remain  there  (which  was 
very  probable),  they  would  have  seized  the  opportunity  to 
desert,  just  before  the  time  set  for  the  ships  to  sail.  As  it 
was,  the  only  desertion  was  that  of  a  lazy  negro  taken  on 
board  at  Tumbez,  and  who  was  not  missed  until  the  Essex 
got  to  sea. 

This  swimming  affair  came  very  near  causing  serious 
trouble,  for  the  sailors  did  not  see  the  same  necessity  for 
remaining  on  board,  on  the  eve  of  sailing  as  did  their 
captain.  Like  most  persons  who  have  been  treated  with 
great  indulgence,  they  became  discontented,  a  feeling  which 
can  very  soon  be  detected  in  a  ship's  crew.  They  stood 
about  the  decks  in  groups  with  gloomy  countenances,  and 
when  called  to  duty  did  not  move  with  their  usual  alacrity. 
The  girls  lined  the  beach  from  morning  until  night,  con- 
stantly  importuning    the  captain    to   take   the    taboo   off 


216         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

the  men ;  and  laughingly  expressing  their  grief  by  dipping 
their  fingers  into  the  sea  water  and  touching  their  black 
eyes.  Others  would  hold  a  chip,  in  the  manner  of  a  shark's 
tooth,  threatening  to  cut  themselves  to  pieces  in  despair; 
some  threatened  to  beat  their  brains  out  with  a  blade  of 
grass,  and  others  to  drown  themselves  if  their  sweethearts 
were  not  permitted  to  go-  on  shore.  This  was  all  very 
tantalizing  to  the  men,  who  did  not  bear  the  separation 
philosophically.  They  said  their  situation  was  worse  than 
slavery,  and  one  Robert  White  declared  on  board  the  Es- 
sex junior,  that  the  frigate's  crew  did  not  intend  to  weigh 
the  anchor ;  or  if  compelled  to  get  the  ship  underway, 
they  would  hoist  their  own  flag  in  three  days  time.  Such 
a  thing  was  by  no  means  improbable,  under  great  tempta- 
tion, and  the  mutiny  on  board  H.  M.  ship  Bounty,  is  a 
case  in  point.  The  sailor's  life  is  a  hard  one,  and  it  is  sel- 
dom that  he  falls  into  such  a  pleasant  place  as  ^ookaheeva 
with  its  beautiful  groves  and  lithesome  houris. 

With  such  a  variety  of  characters  as  compose  the  crew 
of  a  ship  of  war,  only  the  most  energetic  measures  will 
avail,  and  when  the  report  of  White's  speech  was  brought 
to  Capt.  Porter,  he  determined  to  take  immediate  action 
in  the  matter.  As  long  as  the  men  confined  themselves  to 
grumbling  he  thought  it  very  natural ;  but  a  threat  of  this 
kind  he  could  not  tolerate.  All  hands  were  mustered  and 
after  explaining  to  them  the  necessity  for  getting  the  ship 
ready  for  sea  with  all  dispatch,  he  informed  them  that  this 
w^as  the  sole  cause  of  their  deprivation  of  liberty,  which  was 
by  no  means  intended  as  a  punishment,  since  their  conduct 
had  merited  his  entire  approbation.  He  then  pointed  out 
to  them  the  serious  consequences  that  would  occur,  if  every 
man  in  the  ship  should  follow  the  example  of  the  three 
who  had  treated  his  orders  with  so  much  contempt.  All 
seemed  impressed  with  the  Captain's  remarks  on  the  ne- 
cessity of  strict  subordination.  He  then  informed  the  men 
of  the  report  that  had  been  circulated,  and  assured  them 
that  while  he  gave  not  the  slightest  credit  to  it  he  would  in 
the  event  of  such  a  thing  put  a  match  to  the  magazine,  and 
blow  all  hands  into  eternity.  But  he  added,  "  to  see  if 
there  are  any  grounds  for  the  report  that  some  will  refuse 


Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter.  217 

to  obey  my  orders,  let  those  of  you  who  are  disposed  to 
get  the  ship  under  way  at  the  proper  time,  go  over  on  the 
starboard  side  and  those  who  are  otherwise  disposed  re- 
main where  they  are."  All  hands  hastened  to  the  starboard 
side.  He  now  called  for  White,  who  had  spread  the  re- 
port of  the  intended  mutiny,  and  he  tremblingly  advanced. 
Capt.  Porter  informed  the  crew  that  this  was  the  man  who 
had  spread  reports  so  injurious  to  their  character,  and  in- 
dignation was  marked  on  every  countenance.  The  Captain 
then  directed  the  rascal  to  get  into  a  native  canoe,  that 
happened  to  be  passing,  and  never  to  let  him  see  his  face 
again;  and  amid  the  contemptuous  sneers  of  the  sailors ' 
White  departed,  and  that  was  the  last  they  ever  saw 
of  him. 

This  was  a  delicate  affair  to  manage,  and  none  but  one 
who  thoroughly  understood  the  character  of  sailors  could 
have  so  easily  disposed  of  it.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind 
that  when  these  events  were  taking  place  the  navy  was 
not  as  it  is  now,  an  old  established  branch  of  the  govern- 
ment, and  the  authority  of  its  officers  was  by  no  means  so 
well  defined  as  at  present.  There  were  many  English- 
men in  the  service,  who  not  too  good  to  tight  against  their 
own  flag,  would  probably  not  mind  changing  the  one  under 
which  they  temporarily  served  to  another  suited  to  the 
career  of  free  rovers.  Mutinies  have  occurred  in  the 
British  navy,  and  there  was  no  reason  why  they  might 
not  happen  in  that  of  the  United  States,  considering  the 
peculiar  temptations  of  Nookaheevah. 

The  women  of  that  island  were  more  comely  and  attract- 
ive than  was  generally  the  case  at  the  other  islands,  and 
some  of  them  had  formed  strong  attachments  to  members 
of  the  crew,  which  though  not  lasting  were  sincere  at  the 
time,  particularly  on  the  part  of  the  men;  for  the  women 
were  apt  to  be  unfaithful,  whenever  a  new  object  attracted 
their  love  or  cupidity.  It  is  said,  to  excuse  their  conduct, 
that  these  women  did  not  seem  sensible  they  were  doing 
any  injury  to  their  lovers.  They  were  often  inconstant 
in  retaliation  on  some  of  their  female  acquaintance, 
and  if  the  truth  must  be  told  they  were  always  flattered  by 
any  preference  for  them,  and  this  preference,  together  with 
the  present  of  a  whale's  tooth,  could  at  any  time  purchase 
•    28 


218  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

the  favors  of  the  most  exchisive;  for  whale's  teeth  to  them 
were  what  diamonds  are  to  the  sex  in  the  civilized  world. 

The  N'ookaheevans  were  arrant  flirts,  and  having  re- 
ceived a  present  they  were  so  anxious  to  parade  it  and  also 
to  show  their  power  over  the  donor,  as  to  lose  sight  of,  or 
not  to  care  for  tlie  interpretation  that  might  be  put  upon 
the  adventure.  In  time  a  report  would  come  to  the  ears 
of  the  lady  who  innocently  supposed  that  she  had  a  claim 
to  the  present ;  this  produced  an  act  of  retaliation  on  her 
part,  not  to  injure  her  lover,  but  to  mortify  the  woman  who 
had  infringed  on  her  prerogatives.  Yet  with  all  these 
little  infelicities,  we  hear  of  no  serious  difficulties;  though, 
it  is  said,  that  the  I*^ookaheevan  women,  in  spite  of  their 
own  laxity  of  conduct,  watch  their  lovers  as  carefully  as  a 
jealous  Spaniard  does  his  wife.  But  love  is  one  of  the 
refinements  of  civilization,  and  it  is  unlikely  that  a  savage 
can  really  feel  this  absorbing  passion,  as  it  is  felt  by  the 
heart  of  educated  man  or  woman. 

What  we  understand  as  virtue,  was  unknown  in  JN'ooka- 
heevah.  The  young  girls  are  the  wives  of  all  who  can 
purchase  their  favors,  and  a  handsome  daughter  is  a  bless- 
ing that  secures  to  her  parents  abundant  wealth.  From 
the  ages  of  twelve  to  eighteen,  the  young  girls  rove  at  will, 
and  this  period  of  their  lives  is  one  of  unrestrained  plea- 
sure. Their  days  are  spent  in  dancing,  singing  and  orna- 
menting their  persons,  to  render  themselves  attractive  in 
the  eyes  of  those  upon  whom  they  indiscriminately  bestow 
their  favors,  without  shame  or  fear  of  consequences.  No 
wonder  the  sailors  did  not  wish  to  leave  the  island,  but 
the  example  made  of  White  brought  them  to  their  senses; 
and  though  they  loved  the  little  Nookaheevan  girls  they  did 
not  care  sufficiently  for  them  to  forsake  ship,  pay,  and 
prize  money  on  their  account;  and,  perchance,  the  remem- 
brance of  some  black  eyed  Susan  was  at  that  moment 
swaying  away  upon  the  sailor's  heart  strings. 

All  went  cheerfully  to  duty,  and  the  Seringapatam, 
Hammond  and  Greenwich  were  moored  near  the  fort  in 
charge  of  the  marine  officer  Lieut.  Gamble,  who  with  Mid- 
shipman Feltus  and  twenty  men  volunteered  to  remain 
with  the  prizes,  until  the  return  of  the  frigate ;  or  until 
further  orders  from  Ca.ptain  Porter;  failing  to  receive  these, 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  219 

Lieut.  Gamble  was  ordered  to  leave  ISTookaheevah  in  ^ve 
and  a  half  months.  Mr.  King  was  ordered  to  proceed, 
with  the  Kew  Zealander,  to  the  United  States ;  and  on  the 
9th  of  December,  1813,  the  Essex,  Essex  junior,  and  E'ew 
Zealander  weighed  anchor,  and  put  to  sea  bound  for  Val- 
paraiso. 

The  residence  of  Capt.  Porter  among  the  N'ookaheevans, 
had  given  him  an  excellent  opportunity  of  investigating 
the  character  and  habits  of  that  interesting  people,  who 
possessed  so  many  excellent  qualities  that  he  became  much 
attached  to  them;  but  the  limits  of  our  work  preclude  the 
possibility  of  enlarging  on  this  topic,  and  the  people  must 
be  judged  by  the  incidents  which  have  been  narrated  in 
the  preceding  pages. 

Sixty  years  ago  the  inhabitants  of  ISTookaheevah  were 
estimated  at  65,000,  of  which  19,000  were  capable  of  bear- 
ing arms.  They  were  almost  in  a  state  of  nature,  having 
had  little  intercourse  with  the  outside  world,  and  had 
little  knowledge  of  the  vices  and  habits  which  have  since 
done  so  much  to  demoralize  these  ingenuous  islanders. 
Their  guileless  faces  then  shone  with  good  nature  and  in- 
telligence, presenting  a  strong  contrast  to  the  Sandwich 
islanders  andTahitans,  who  had  already  become  corrupted 
by  their  intercourse  with  the  white  man.  The  Nookahee- 
vans  have  now  become  sensible  of  their  guilt,  in  what  in 
their  primitive  state  was  not  considered  wrong,  and  it  is 
marked  in  their  countenances  by  a  sullen  look  which  cha- 
racterizes these  islanders  after  living  under  the  oppressive 
rule  of  foreigners. 

After  dwindling  away  to  a  population  of  9000,  the 
natives  of  the  Washington  islands  in  the  year  1842,  placed 
themselves  under  the  protection  of  the  French ;  still  re- 
taining many  of  the  good  qualities  they  were  said  to  pos- 
sess in  1813,  and  exhibiting  in  their  great  size  and  beauty 
of  form,  that  likeness  to  the  classic  sculptures  which  has 
been  before  remarked. 

Captain  Porter's  account  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Wash- 
ington islands,  is,  perhaps,  the  most  interesting  that  has 
appeared.  His  opportunities  for  observation  were  unusu- 
ally good ;  and  his  habits  of  observation  and  powers  of 
description,  well  qualified  him  for  the  task. 


220  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 


CHAPTER  XY. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  describe  the  voyage  of  the  Essex 
and  Essex  junior  to  Valparaiso,  in  which  port  the  frigate 
came  to  anchor  on  the  3d  of  February,  when  salutes  and 
visits  were  exchanged  with  the  authorities.  The  Essex 
Junior  was  directed  to  cruise  oft'  the  port,  to  intercept  any 
of  the  enemy's  merchant  vessels,  and  to  give  warning  of 
the  approach  of  British  ships  of  war ;  and,  in  the  mean- 
time, every  eftbrt  was  made  to  get  the  Essex  ready  for  sea. 
The  hospitality  of  the  people  of  Valparaiso  seemed  to 
increase,  and  as  a  return  for  their  kindness  and  the  disap- 
pointment they  had  experienced  on  a  former  occasion, 
Captain  Porter,  on  the  evening  of  the  7th,  invited  the 
governor,  the  officials  and  their  families,  together  with  the 
principal  citizens,  to  an  entertainment  on  board  the  frigate. 
Lieut.  Downes  was  directed  to  anchor  his  vessel,  but  in 
such  a  position  as  would  give  him  a  full  view  of  the  sea. 
The  dancing  continued  until  midnight,  when  Lieut. 
Downes  left  the  frigate  and  proceeded  to  sea  in  his  vessel. 
The  awnings  and  flags  which  had  been  used  to  decorate 
the  Essex  had  not  been  taken  down,  and  the  usual  scene 
of  confusion  which  follows  such  aftairs  on  shipboard  pre- 
vailed, when  the  Essex  junior  signalled :  "  Two  enemy's 
ships  in  sight."  One-half  the  frigate's  crew  was  ashore 
on  liberty,  but  they  were  immediately  summoned  on  board 
by  signal ;  and,  after  ordering  the  ship  prepared  for  action. 
Captain  Porter  went  outside  in  the  Essex  junior  to  recon- 
noitre the  two  vessels,  both  of  which  appeared  to  be  frigates. 
The  Essex  junior  was  ordered  to  take  a  position  near  the 
frigate,  where  the  two  ships  could  mutually  support  each 
other,  and  the  Captain  returned  to  the  Essex  where  he 
found  the  ship  completely  prepared  for  action,  and  every 
officer  and  man  at  his  post  in  just  an  hour  and  a  half  after 
the  enemy's  ships  were  sighted. 

At  8  A.  M.,  the  British  ships,  fully  prepared  for  action, 
entered  the  harbor;  the  larger  vessel  (which  proved  to  be 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         221 

the  frigate  Phoebe,  Captain  Hilljar),  ranging  up  along  side 
of  the  Essex,  and  between  her  and  the  Essex  junior.  Cap- 
tain Ilillyar  politely  enquired  after  Captain  Porter's  health, 
to  which  a  courteous  response  was  given.  These  officers 
were  old  acquaintances  in  the  Mediterranean,  and  Captain 
Porter  had  spent  many  pleasant  hours  with  Captain  Hillyar 
and  his  family  at  Gibraltar.  Captain  Hillyar  was  in  fact 
greatly  esteemed  by  the  American  officers,  and  at  one 
time,  during  his  absence,  his  family  placed  themselves 
under  the  protection  of  Commodore  Rogers,  who  con- 
veyed them  from  Malta  to  Gibraltar,  where  they  joined 
Captain  H. 

Finding  that  the  Phoebe  was  approaching  nearer  the 
Essex  than  a  strict  neutrality  justified  him  in  permitting, 
Captain  Porter  called  out  to  Capt.  Hillyar,  that  he  was 
prepared  for  action,  but  would  only  act  on  the  defensive; 
whereupon,  Hillyar,  leaning  over  the  side,  answered  in  a 
careless,  indifterent  manner  :  "  Oh  sir,  I  have  no  intention 
of  getting  on  board  of  you ;  "  and  being  again  warned  that 
if  he  did  fall  foul  of  the  Essex,  there  would  be  much  blood 
shed.  Hillyar  nonchalantly,  repeated  his  assurance  that 
he  had  no  such  intention.  Finding,  however,  that  the 
Englishman  luffed  up  so  that  he  caused  his  ship  to  get 
aback,  whereby  the  Phoebe's  jib  boom  came  across  the 
Essex's  forecastle,  Captain  Porter  called  away  the  boarders, 
directing  them  if  the  ships'  hulls  touched,  to  spring  upon 
the  deck  of  the  English  frigate. 

At  this  moment,  not  a  gun  from  the  Phoebe  could  be 
brought  to  bear  on  either  the  Essex  or  the  Essex  junior, 
while  her  bow  was  exposed  to  the  raking  fire  of  one,  aud 
her  stern  to  the  raking  fire  of  the  other;  and  her  consort, 
the  Cherub  of  23  guns,  was  too  far  to  leeward  to  affi)rd 
any  assistance.  The  consternation  on  board  the  English 
frigate  was  very  great,  when  it  was  seen  that  every  officer 
and  man  on  board  the  Essex,  was  armed  with  a  cutlass 
and  brace  of  pistols,  ready  to  jump  on  board,  while  the 
guns  were  trained  to  fire  as  occasion  might  require. 
Capt.  Hillyar  had  been  informed,  by  the  boat  of  an  English 
ship  in  port,  that  the  American  frigate  was  in  great  con- 
fusion from  an  entertainment,  and  that  most  of  her  men 
were  on  shore;  so  on  witnessing  this  unexpected  prepara- 


222  Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter. 

tion  for  his  reception,  the  English  captain  protested  with 
great  vehemence  that  he  had  no  intention  of  boarding  the 
Essex ;  that  it  was  altogether  an  accident,  that  his  ship  had 
been  taken  aback,  that  he  was  exceedingly  sorry,  &c.,  &c. 

The  temptation  to  destroy  the  Phoebe,  which  was  com- 
pletely at  his  mercy,  was  very  great,  and  Captain  Porter 
would  have  been  amply  justified  in  sinking  the  English 
frigate,  on  the  plea  of  self  defense,  but  the  assurances  of 
Captain  Hillyar  disarmed  him,  and  Captain  Porter  missed 
the  opportunity  which  he  never  should  have  lost.  He 
hailed  Lieut.  Downes  and  told  him  not  to  commence 
hostilities  without  orders,  as  it  was  his  intention  to  let 
Captain  Hillyar  extricate  himself.  The  Phoebe  accord- 
ingly separated  from  the  Essex,  drifted  by  the  two  ships 
exposed  to  their  raking  fire,  and  anchored  on  the  eastern 
side  of  the  harbor,  within  range  of  her  long  18  pounders, 
but  beyond  the  range  of  the  Essex's  carronades.  The 
Cherub  came  to  anchor  within  pistol  shot  of  the  Essex's 
larboard  bow,  whereupon  the  Essex  junior  was  moored  to 
place  the  Cherub  between  her  fire  and  that  of  the  Essex, 
an  arrangementthat  gave  great  umbrage  to  Captain  Tucker, 
the  commander  of  the  Cherub. 

The  government  officials  and  people  of  Valparaiso  were 
much  surprised  at  Captain  Porter's  forbearance,  in  not  de- 
stroying the  British  frigate  when  at  his  mercy,  after  her 
evident  attempt  to  violate  the  neutrality  of  the  port ;  but 
Capt.  Porter  assured  them  that  he  always  had  and  always 
should  respect  the  neutrality  of  the  port,  unless  attacked, 
and  although  subsequent  events  proved  that  Captain  Hill- 
yar was  incapable  of  similar  forbearance,  yet  Porter  never 
regretted  the  course  he  pursued,  in  permitting  the  English 
frigate  to  escape,  when  he  had  her  completely  in  his  power. 

It  is  pleasant  to  see  the  courtesies  of  life  maintained, 
even  between  the  citizens  of  nations  at  war  with  each  other, 
for  there  is  no  reason  why  gentlemen  bred  to  arms,  should 
not  practice  those  little  civilities  which  tend  to  soften  as- 
perities, and  often  to  ameliorate  the  condition  of  captives. 
The  day  after  their  arrival,  Capts.  Hillyar  and  Tucker 
called  on  Capt.  Porter,  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Blanco,  where 
he  was  staying,  and  were  received  with  the  courtesy  which 
was  a  part  of  his  nature.     Not  wishing  to  be  outdone  in 


m  Mil 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         223 

politeness,  Capt.  Porter  returned  the  visit  and  a  friendly 
intimacy  was  soon  established,  not  only  between  the  com- 
manders, but  also  between  the  officers  and  men  of  the  re- 
spective ships.  Judging  from  appearances,  no  one  would 
have  suspected  the  two  nations  were  at  war,  the  conduct 
of  the  English  and  Americans  towards  each  other  bore  so 
much  the  appearance  of  friendly  alliance.  At  their  first 
interview,  Capt.  Porter  enquired  of  Capt.  Hillyar  whether 
he  intended  to  respect  the  neutrality  of  the  port,  to  which 
that  officer  replied  with  much  feeling :  "  You  have  paid 
so  much  respect  to  the  neutrality  of  the  port  that  I  feel 
bound  in  honor  to  respect  it,"  an  answer  which  was  very 
gratifying  to  the  American,  as  he  would  not  now  have  to 
be  continually  on  his  guard  or  prepared  for  action. 

Soon  after  the  British  vessels  arrived  in  port,  the  Phoebe 
hoisted  a  flag  containing  the  motto  :  "  God  and  Country, 
British  Sailors'  best  Eights,  Traitors  offend  both,"  which 
was  an  answer,  Capt.  Hillyar  said,  to  the  motto  of  the 
Essex  "  Free  Trade  and  Sailors'  Eights,"  which  had  given 
great  ofl^^nse  to  the  British  navy. 

The  second  time  the  Phoebe's  flag  was  displayed,  a  flag 
appeared  at  the  mast  head  of  the  Essex,  bearing  the  in- 
scription :  "  God,  our  Country  and  Liberty,  Tyrants  offend 
Them."  Three  cheers  followed  on  the  part  of  the  Phoebe's 
crew,  which  were  returned  from  the  Essex.  The  incident 
was  taken  good  naturedly  by  Capt.  Hillyar ;  and  on  their 
next  meeting  he  and  Capt.  Porter  talked  over  amicably 
the  object  of  the  former  in  coming  to  the  Pacific,  his  long 
hunt  after  the  Essex  and  his  desire  to  know  what  Porter 
intended  to  do  with  his  prizes,  &c.  Capt.  Porter  informed 
Hillyar,  that  whenever  he  sent  away  the  Cherub,  he  in- 
tended to  go  to  sea,  and  would  take  the  first  opportunity, 
when  the  Essex  could  meet  the  Phoebe  alone,  of  testing 
the  force  of  the  two  ships ;  that  as  the  Essex  was  much 
the  smaller  vessel  of  the  two,  he  did  not  feel  justified 
in  challenging  the  Phoebe  to  fight,  but  that  if  Capt.  Hillyar 
would  send  away  the  Cherub,  he  would  have  no  hesitation 
in  engaging  him. 

To  these  and  similar  utterances,  the  British  captain 
would  reply,  that  the  results  of  naval  actions  were  very 
uncertain,  as  they  depended  on  many  contingencies,  and 


224         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

that  the  loss  of  a  mast  or  spar  often  turned  the  fate  of  the 
day.  He  observed,  that  notwithstanding  the  inferiority  of 
the  Essex,  if  she  could  get  to  close  quarters,  she  would  do 
great  execution  with  her  carronades.  On  the  whole, 
therefore,  he  should  trust  to  circumstances  to  brin^  the 
ships  together,  as  he  was  not  disposed  to  yield  the  advan- 
tage of  superior  force,  which  would  effectually  blockade 
the  Essex  until  other  ships  arrived,  and  at  all  events  pre- 
vent her  doing  further  damage  to  British  commerce. 
Capt.  Porter  told  him  as  regarded  the  prizes  they  were  an 
incumbrance,  and  he  intended  to  take  them  to  sea  on  the 
first  opportunity,  and  burn  them.  liillyar  dared  him  to 
do  it,  while  he  was  in  sight,  to  which  the  other  replied, 
"we  will  see." 

It  was  soon  ascertained,  beyond  a  doubt,  that  Captain 
Hillyar  was  determined  to  yield  none  of  the  advantages  of 
his  superior  force,  and  as  there  were  other  British  vessels 
of  war  expected  in  the  Pacific,  the  arrival  of  which  in  Val- 
paraiso would  effectually  blockade  the  Essex,  Capt.  Por- 
ter determined  to  use  every  means  of  provoking  Hillyar 
to  single  combat  with  the  Phoebe. 

As  the  Cherub  laid  quite  near  the  Essex,  the  crews  of 
the  two  vessels  amused  themselves  by  singing  songs  at 
each  other,  selecting  those  most  appropriate  to  their  situa- 
tion and  feelings,  some  of  them  of  their  own  composition. 
Yankee  Doodle  was  the  vehicle  through  which  the 
sailors  of  the  Essex  in  full  chorus  conveyed  their  sarcasms, 
while  Dibdin's  Poor  Jack  w^as  generally  selected  as  a 
tune  by  their  rivals.  These  amusements  were  not  only 
tolerated,  but  encouraged  by  the  officers  through  the 
whole  of  the  first  watch  of  the  calm,  delightful  nights  of 
Chili,  much  to  the  amusement  of  the  people  of  Valparaiso 
and  the  crews  of  the  other  ships.  At  length  Capt.  Hillyar 
requested  Capt.  Porter  to  put  a  stop  to  this  practice,  which 
the  latter  declined  to  do  while  the  singing  continued  on 
board  the  Cherub.  As  a  sample  of  the  poetry  manu- 
factured by  the  sailors  at  that  time,  we  give  the  following, 
which  was  sung  for  the  benefit  of  the  Phoebe  and  Cherub. 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         225 

Ye  tars  of  our  country,  who  seek  on  the  main, 
The  cause  for  the  wrongs  your  country  sustain, 
Rejoice  and  be  merry,  for  bragging  John  Bull 
Has  got  f.  sound  drubbing  from  brave  Captain  Hull. 

The  bold  Constitution,  a  ship  of  some  fame, 
Sure  each  jolly  tar  must  remember  her  name, 
On  the  19th  of  August,  o'ertook  the  Gruerriere, 
A  frigate  once  captured  by  John  from  Monseer. 

At  five  past  meridian,  the  action  begun. 

It  was  before  John  had  learned  from  our  frigates  to  run, 

So  he  backed  his  main  top  sail  so  tickled  to  find, 

A  Yankee  for  fighting  so  stoutly  inclined. 

Proud  Dacres  commanded  the  enemy's  ship, 
Who  often  had  promised  the  Yankees  to  whip. 
But  it  seems  he  had  reckoned  without  his  good  host. 
As  he  found  on  that  hot,  bloody  day  to  his  cost. 

That  boasting  commander  his  crew  first  addressed, 
It  was  partly  made  up  of  Americans  pressed ; 
Says  he,  "  my  brave  boys,  see  our  wish  is  fulfilled. 
For  'tis  better  to  capture  a  ship  than  to  build." 

''  And  you  who  are  tired  of  our  boatswain's  whip. 
And  sigh  to  return  to  some  vile  Yankee  ship. 
Ten  minutes  or  less  of  our  fierce  British  fire, 
Will  give  me  that  ship  and  give  you  your  desire." 

Our  drum  beat  to  quarters,  each  jolly  tar  hears. 
And  hails  the  glad  tidings  with  three  hearty  cheers ; 
All  eager  for  battle,  to  quarters  they  fly. 
Resolving  to  conquer  that  ship  or  to  die. 

So  at  it  we  went  in  a  deluge  of  fire. 
Each  party  too  stubborn  an  inch  to  retire ; 
Balls,  grape  shot  and  langridge  promiscuously  fly. 
While  the  thunder  of  cannon  fills  ocean  and  sky. 

At  a  quarter  past  five,  our  shot  told  so  well 
That  the  enemy's  mizzen  mast  tottered  and  fell. 
And  while  eager  to  board,  for  orders  we  wait. 
Her  foremast  and  mainmast  shared  the  same  fate. 

Our  cabin  had  now  from  his  shot  taken  fire. 
Yet  danger  but  kindled  our  courage  the  higher, 
'Twas  quickly  extinguished,  and  Dacres'  lee  gun 
Proclaimed  his  ship  ours,  and  the  bloody  fight  done. 
29 


226  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

The  prize  then  we  boarded  all  armed  in  a  boat, 
We  found  her  so  riddled  she'd  scarce  keep  afloat, 
Fifteen  of  her  seamen  lay  dead  in  their  gore, 
And  wounded  and  dying  were  sixty-four  more. 

Our  loss  was  but  seven,  Heaven  rest  their  brave  souls, 

For  over  their  bodies  the  green  ocean  rolls, 

And  seven  who  wounded  will  long  live  to  tell, 

How  they  got  their  brave  scars  which  become  them  so  well. 

Huzza  for  the  can  boys,  come  give  us  a  pull, 
Let's  drink  a  full  bucket  to  brave  Captain  Hull, 
And  when  next  to  meet  us,  the  enemy  dare, 
God  grant  in  his  mercy  that  we  may  be  there. 

The  English  songs  were  fully  up  to  the  above  standard, 
but  unfortunately  it  is  out  of  our  power  to  produce  any  of 
them.  It  was  not  likely  that  these  songs  would  tend  to 
maintain  the  good  feeling  which  had  previously  existed, 
and  in  fact  they  eventually  led  to  some  bitterness.  The 
people  of  Valparaiso,  who  could  hear  all  these  songs  from 
the  hillsides,  enjoyed  them  amazingly,  and  would  have 
been  as  much  pleased  to  see  the  frigates  join  in  battle,  as 
to  witness  their  national  sport  of  bull  fighting,  regardless 
of  the  number  of  killed  and  wounded  that  might  result 
from  such  an  encounter. 

While  these  sarcastic  compliments  were  being  passed 
around,  one  of  the  prisoners  on  board  the  Essex  junior 
jumped  overboard,  and  in  spite  of  every  effort  made  by  the 
Americans  to  prevent  it,  he  was  picked  up  by  a  boat  from 
the  Cherub  and  carried  in  triumph  on  board  that  vessel. 
This  incident  led  to  a  racy  correspondence  between  Cap- 
tains Porter  and  Hillyar,  in  which  was  shown  some  as- 
perity on  both  sides,  the  first  that  had  been  manifested 
since  the  meeting  of  these  officers.  Captain  Porter  con- 
sidered that  Hillyar  had  violated  his  pledge  in  permitting 
the  rescue  of  the  prisoner,  but  on  the  whole  it  was  not  an 
unfair  transaction,  as  the  British  officer  could  not  with 
propriety  give  him  up.  The  precedent  could  only  be  ad- 
vantageous to  the  Essex,  predisposed  as  were  the  British 
sailors  to  desert  at  every  opportunity.  Notwithstanding 
the  correspondence,  the  next  interview  between  Captains 
Porter  and  Hillyar  was  friendly,  and  the  former  made  a 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         227 

proposition  to  put  all  his  prisoners  on  board  one  of  the 
prizes  without  a  cargo,  and  send  her  to  England,  there  to 
take  an  equal  number  of  American  prisoners,  and  proceed 
with  them  to  the  United  States.  Captain  Hillyar  expressed 
some  doubt  as  to  the  propriety  of  this  arrangement,  and 
referred  to  a  similar  agreement  made  with  the  captain  of 
the  Alert.  In  the  course  of  conversation,  he  adverted  to 
certain  reports  that  had  been  circulated,  accusing  Capt. 
Porter  of  maltreating  his  prisoners,  saying  that  these  stories 
had  made  a  bad  impression  upon  British  officers,  and  would 
tend  to  make  the  condition  of  American  prisoners  very 
uncomfortable  hereafter.  Captain  Porter  therefore  felt  it 
due  to  his  own  honor,  and  to  that  of  his  country,  to  set  this 
matter  right  at  once,  and  he  accordingly  wrote  to  Captain 
Hillyar  a  letter,  which,  with  that  officer's  answer,  is  here 
inserted. 

'  U.  S.  Frigate  Essex, 
Valparaiso,  23d  Feb.,  1814. 

Sir  :  As  you  have  expressed  some  doubts  respecting  the  correct- 
ness of  an  arrangement,  proposed  by  me,  for  the  disposal  of  the 
prisoners  of  war  on  board  the  ships  under  my  command ;  and  as 
those  doubts  were  occasioned  by  a  communication  made  by  Admiral 
Duckworth,  to  the  secretary  of  the  navy  of  the  United  States,  of 
which  you  had  not  a  perfect  recollection,  I  have  done  myself  the 
honor  to  transmit  a  copy  of  a  letter  from  the  department,  containing 
an  extract  from  the  aforesaid  communication,  by  which  you  will  be 
enabled  to  judge  whether  the  objections  made  by  the  admiral,  can 
be  here  applied. 

I  also  do  myself  the  honor  to  send  you  the  copy  of  a  letter  from 
the  admiral  to  myself,  as  well  as  several  other  communications  of  a 
private  nature,  and  beg  you  to  restore  the  originals  after  you  have 
perused,  and  (if  you  think  them  of  sufl&cient  importance)  taken  a 
copy  of  them. 

I  have  been  induced  to  do  this,  from  a  wish  to  remove  certain 
impressions  which  have  been  made  on  the  public  mind  highly  preju- 
dicial to  the  character  of  an  American  officer ;  and  I  assure  you, 
although  I  have  endeavored  to  perform  and  shall  continue  to  do  my 
duty  to  my  country  to  the  utmost  of  my  abilities,  I  disdain  a  mean 
and  dishonorable  act,  whatever  advantages  may  result  from  it.  It 
has  been  my  study  to  alleviate  the  miseries  of  war  and  I  have  been 
rewarded  in  most  instances  with  the  basest  ingratitude. 

British  boats,  with  British  subjects  on  board,  daily  pass  and  re- 
pass between  the  shore  and  the  ships  under  your  command  when  far 


228  Memoik  of  Commodoee  David  Porter. 

bevond  the  jurisdiction  of  this  port.  It  has  frequently  been  in  my 
power  to  cut  them  off;  but  I  have  not  done  so,  under  the  persuasion 
that  American  boats,  under  similar  circumstances  would  be  per- 
mitted by  you  to  pass  unmolested.  I  beg  you  to  inform  me,  whether 
my  opinion  is  correct  ? 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  &c. 
Captain  James  Hillyar,  &c.,  &c.  D.  Porter. 

11.  B.  M.  Ship  Phoebe, 
Off  Valparaiso  24th  Feb.,  1814. 

JSir  :  I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  favor 
of  yesterday,  with  its  in  closures,  and  I  beg  you  will  accept  my  thanks 
for  the  trouble  you  have  taken.  The  copy  of  Sir  John  Duckworth's 
letter  and  the  extracts  accompanying  it,  confirm  me  in  my  opinion, 
that  the  cases  are  too  nearly  similar  to  justify  my  acceding  to  your 
proposition  of  sending  one  of  your  prizes  as  a  cartel,  and  the  British 
government  would  certainly  disapprove  of  the  act. 

The  letters  from  your  prisoners  must  be  highly  gratifying  to  your 
personal  feelings,  and  I  hope  the  individuals  who  have  benefitted 
by  your  humane  attentions,  will  feel  themselves  bound  in  honor  to 
rescue  your  character  from  every  unjust  and  illiberal  aspersion. 

I  certainly  could  have  no  objection  to  American  boats  passing  in 
the  way  British  do  to  us,  under  similar  circumstances.  They  have 
all  the  governor's  permission. 

I  must  now  appeal  to  your  humanity,  and  repeat  to  you  how  anxious 
I  am  for  the  sufferings  of  my  countrymen  at  present  your  prisoners  — 
and  express  my  request  that  you  will  liberate  them  here,  as  the  only 
expedient  I  can  think  of.  If  you  accede  to  it  I  pledge  myself  that 
they  shall  not  be  permitted  to  serve  on  board  any  of  his  majesty's 
ships,  under  my  orders  j  and  I  will  write  immediately  to  the  British 
government,  that  an  equal  number  of  Americans  may  be  restored  to 
their  country. 

I  have  availed  myself  of  your  permission  to  copy  some  of  the 
papers,  and  have  taken  the  names  of  those  who  have  acknowledged 
your  goodness  to  them.  The  liberal  minded  will  always  do  you  jus- 
tice —  and  a  much  higher  reward  awaits  the  performance  of  every 
Christian  duty  to  an  afflicted  fellow  creature. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be  &c., 
David  Porter,  Esqr.,  &c.,  &c.  James  Hillyar. 

From  the  above  correspondence  it  will  be  seen,  that  the 
two  English  ships  had  gone  to  cruise  off  the  port.  The 
circumstances  of  their  going  to  sea  were  as  follows.  A 
signal  from  the  Spanish  telegraph  on  the  hill,  announced 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         229 

a  sail  in  the  offing,  and  the  morning  being  calm,  the  Essex 
junior  was  ordered  to  go  in  pursuit  in  tow  of  the  frigate's 
boats.  After  reconnoitering  the  vessel,  which  proved  to  be 
an  English  storeship,  the  Phoebe  and  Cherub  made  all  sail 
with  the  intention  of  cutting  off  the  Essex  junior  from  the 
harbor  which  they  were  near  effecting,  but  for  the  Essex's 
boats  which  towed  the  ship  back  to  her  former  anchorage. 
On  the  25th  of  February  Capt.  Porter  sent  a  flag  of  truce 
on  board  the  Phoebe  with  the  following  note : 

U.  S.  Frigate  Essex, 
Valparaiso  25tli  Feb.,  1814. 

Sir  :  I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  letter 
of  yesterday,  and  agreeably  to  your  request  and  assurances,  immedi- 
ately liberated,  on  parole,  the  British  prisoners  who  were  on  board 
the  vessels  under  my  command.  Their  obligation,  as  well  as  a  cer- 
tificate of  their  liberation,  are  herewith  enclosed. 

My  feelings  have  been  greatly  roused  by  the  scandalous  reports 
which  have  been  circulated  respecting  my  conduct,  yet  I  hope  I 
shall  always  have  sufficient  control  over  myself,  to  prevent  any  change 
in  my  conduct  towards  those  whom  the  fortune  of  war  may  place  in 
my  power ;  for  though  such  a  change  might  be  just,  it  would  not  be 
generous.  I  fear  I  have  done  injury  to  my  country  and  my  fellow 
citizens,  by  the  practice  of  liberating  British  subjects  who  have 
fallen  into  my  hands  before  they  were  exchanged,  but  the  purity  of 
my  intentions  was  evident  to  Admiral  Duckworth,  and  so  long  as 
my  country  does  not  disapprove  of  this  mode,  I  hope  I  may  be  the 
means  of  averting  some  of  those  evils  incident  to  captivity. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  &c.,        D.  Porter. 
Captain  James  Hillyar,  &c.,  &c. 

About  this  time,  desiring  to  ascertain  the  comparative 
rate  of  sailing  between  his  own  and  the  British  ships,  and 
choosing  a  favorable  opportunity  when  the  enemy  were  to 
leeward  of  the  port  and  could  not  cut  him  off,  Capt. 
Porter  got  underway,  and  let  the  Phoebe  and  Cherub  chase 
him.  He  soon  ascertained  that  the  Essex  had  greatly  the 
advantage,  and  felt  satisfied  that  he  could  at  any  time  make 
his  escape  ;  but  he  did  not  abandon  the  hope  of  bringing 
the  frigate  to  an  engagement,  and  he  endeavored  to  con- 
trol his  impatience  to  depart,  while  he  tried  in  every 
way  to  provoke  his  adversary  to  single  combat. 

On  the  14th  of  February,  it  being  calm  and  the  two 


230  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

British  ships  far  in  the  offing,  Capt.  Porter  towed  the 
Ilector,  one  of  his  prizes  to  sea,  and  when  within  reach  of 
f  e  enemy's  guns,  set  fire  to  her  and  made  his  escape,  in 
spite  of  every  effort  to  cut  him  off. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  27th  the  Phoebe  stood  in  towards 
the  harbor,  hoisted  her  fiag  containing  the  answer  to  the 
motto,  "Free  trade  and  sailors'  rights,"  hove  to,  and  fired 
a  gun  to  windward.  This  was  considered  by  everyone  on 
board  the  Essex  as  a  challenge,  and  Captain  Porter  did 
not  hesitate  to  accept  it.  The  frigate's  motto  was  run  up, 
a  gun  fired,  and  the  Essex,  slipping  her  cables,  got  under- 
way, and  stood  out  after  the  Phoebe.  Valparaiso  was  all  ex- 
citement and  the  hills  were  covered  with  people,  among 
whom  were  many  women  all  anxious  to  witness  an  engage- 
ment. The  Phoebe  stood  off  shore  as  the  Essex  stood  out, 
under  press  of  sail,  and  the  latter  was  fast  closing  with  her  an- 
tagonist, when,  to  the  astonishment  of  every  one,  the  British 
frigate  bore  up  before  the  wind  and  joined  her  consort. 
Captain  Porter  was  naturally  indignant  at  this  conduct, 
after  having  been  invited  to  a  contest  with  the  Phoebe, 
and  ordered  two  shots  fired  ahead  of  the  latter  to  bring  her 
to,  but  she  continued  on  her  course.  When  the  Phoebe 
joined  the  Cherub,  both  gave  chase  to  the  Essex,  and  after 
the  latter  had  anchored  came  into  the  harbor  together. 

This  affair  was  discussed  in  Yalparaiso,  and  surprise  was 
expressed  that  the  Phoebe  had  not  availed  herself  of  the 
opportunity  offered.  Capt.  Porter  himself  warmly  ex- 
pressed his  dissatisfaction  at  Capt.  Hillyar's  course,  and 
his  remarks  reached  that  officer's  ears.  A  bad  feeling  was 
springing  up,  causing  a  very  annoying  state  of  affairs. 
The  Cherub  was  now  too  far  off  to  hear  the  songs  of  the 
Essex,  but  still  feeling  sore  at  some  taunts  of  the  latter's 
crew,  on  the  subject  of  the  late  challenge,  addressed 
some  letters  to  them  of  a  most  insulting  character,  which 
were  brought  to  Captain  Porter.  The  latter  thought  this 
a  good  opportunity  of  rousing  the  British  captain  to  offer 
battle  in  earnest,  and  accordingly  addressed  him  the  fol- 
lowing letter : 

U.  S.  Frigate  Essex,  14th  March,  18U. 
Sir  :  The  two  enclosed  papers   have  been   handed  to  me  by  my 
ship's  company,  and  were  delivered  to  one  of  my  seamen  by  a  British 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  231 

prisoner  on  parole  as  coming  from  your  ship.  One  of  my  seamen  lias 
also  assured  me,  that  the  crew  of  an  English  ship  now  in  port,  have 
showed  him  a  letter  bearing  your  signature,  holding  forth  encourage- 
ment to  my  people,  for  deserting  the  cause  in  which  they  are  now 
engaged.  The  style  of  the  two  papers  is  a  sufficient  evidence  that 
they  were  not  written  by  a  common  sailor.  But,  although  I  have 
received  the  most  positive  assurances  respecting  the  latter,  my 
knowledge  of  the  character  of  Captain  Hillyar,  will  not  permit  me 
to  believe  him  capable  of  so  base  an  expedient  to  effect  the  object  of 
his  cruise,  notwithstanding  the  circumstances,  and  alleged  object  of 
the  Phoebe's  flag  might  induce  a  suspicion. 

It  appears  that  my  ship's  company  have  made  some  reply  to  the 
first  of  these  papers  ;  and  it  is  highly  probable  that  it  was  couched 
in  the  ordinary  language  of  sailors.  The  most  insulting  epithets 
have  been  applied  to  them  and  in  the  most  public  manner.  I  have 
not,  therefore,  thought  it  proper  to  restrain  that  indignation  my 
people  have  felt,  in  common  with  myself  at  such  proceedings.  Their 
character  as  well  as  my  own,  has  been  misunderstood  ;  and  if  it  is 
believed  that  we  have  wished  to  shake  the  loyalty  of  your  seamen,  I 
can  positively  assure  you,  our  intentions  have  been  equally  misunder- 
stood. 

It  is  not  necessary  for  us  to  resort  to  so  pitiful  an  expedient, 
and  were  it  necessary  I  should  spurn  it.  My  men  are  equally  pre- 
pared with  myself,  to  do  our  duty  ;  they  have  given  me  innumerable 
proofs  of  their  readiness  at  all  times,  to  die  in  support  of  their 
country's  cause  ;  they  have  my  unlimited  confidence  —  I  have  theirs. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  &c., 
Captain  James  Hillyar,  &c.,  &c.  D.  Porter. 

To  this  missive  Captain  Hillyar  returned  a  temperate 
reply,  disclaiming  the  conduct  attributed  to  him,  retorting 
the  charge  of  his  men  being  the  aggressors  in  the  paper 
war,  and  hinting  at  various  reports  he  had  lately  heard  to 
the  Captain's  disadvantage.  Several  letters  were  inter- 
changed, and  while  the  commanders  w^ere  engaged  in  a 
keen  encounter  of  their  wits,  the  crew  of  the  hostile  ships 
continued  to  carry  on  the  war  in  poetry  and  prose,  sonie 
of  the  poetical  effusions  of  the  British  tars  being  so  merito- 
rious, as  to  induce  a  suspicion  that  they  were  the  produc- 
tion of  higher  authority. 

Shortly  after  this,  the  1st  lieutenant  of  the  Phoebe  came 
on  board  the  Essex,  under  a  flag  of  truce.  Presuming 
that  he  was  the  bearer  of  another  challenge,  Capt.  Porter 
required  the  presence  of  some  of  his  officers  to  witness 


232  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

the  interview.  The  English  officer  stated  that  Capt. 
Hillyar  had  been  informed,  that  Porter  had  accused  him 
of  acting  in  a  cowardly  manner,  in  running  from  the 
Essex  after  having  challenged  her.  Capt.  Porter  admitted 
that  he  had  said  so,  and  still  thought  so,  whereupon  the 
officer  stated,  on  the  part  of  Capt.  Hillyar,  that  the  firing 
a  gun  and  hoisting  a  flag  was  merely  intended  as  a  signal 
to  the  Cherub !  Captain  Porter  replied,  that  Hillyar  had 
informed  him  that  the  motto  of  the  flag  was  intended  as 
an  answer  to  that  of  the  Essex,  and  that  there  was  not  a 
soul  in  Valparaiso  that  did  not  think  it  a  challenge.  As 
the  officer  still  continued  his  assurances,  Captain  Porter 
told  him  that  he  was  bound  to  take  Captain  Hillyar's 
word  if  he  said  that  he  had  not  intended  a  challenge,  but 
assured  him  that  whenever  Captain  Hillyar  thought  pro- 
per to  send  away  the  Cherub,  and  perform  a  similar  ma- 
noeuvre he  should  consider  it  an  invitation  to  battle;  but 
the  English  officer  said,  that  Hillyar  being  a  religious 
man,  did  not  approve  of  challenges.  Some  excitement 
grew  out  of  this  last  afikir,  and  Capt.  Porter,  not  wishing 
to  be  accused  of  getting  under  way  to  perform  an  act  of 
bravado,  when  he  knew  the  English  captain  had  determined 
to  risk  nothing  in  the  performance  of  his  duty,  received 
from  his  officers  the  following  certificates  which  belong  to 
the  history  of  that  time. 

"  On  Sunday  the  27th  February,  1814,  at  5  P.M.,  the  Phoebe  ran 
close  in  with  the  harbor,  hoisted  an  English  ensign,  bearing  the 
motto,  "  God  and  our  Country ;  British  Sailors'  Best  Rights  :  Trai- 
tors Offend  Them,"  and  fired  a  gun  to  windward.  The  sloop-of-war 
was  about  two  and  a  half  miles  to  the  leeward.  The  Essex  immedi- 
ately got  underway,  hoisted  a  flag  bearing  the  motto,  "  God,  Our 
Country  and  Liberty  :  Tyrants  offend  them,"  and  fired  a  gun  to 
windward.  The  Phoebe  hove  to  until  the  Essex  was  within  gun 
shot,  when  she  bore  up  and  ran  down  for  the  sloop  of  war.  Two  shots 
were  fired  across  her  bows  to  bring  her  to,  but  without  effect.  After 
chasing  her  as  far  as  was  prudent,  Capt.  Porter  observed  that  their 
conduct  was  cowardly  and  dishonorable,  and  returned  into  port 
where  we  came  to  anchor. 

John  Downes  M.  W.  Bostwick 

Wm,  H.  Odenheimer       Alex.  Montgomery 
Edward  Barnewell  George  W.  Isaac 

Richard  K.  Hoffman        S.  L.  Duzenbery. 
John  K.  Shaw 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  233 

On  the  16th  of  March,  1814,  Lieut.  lagraham,  first  of  the  Phoebe, 
came  on  board  the  Essex,  under  a  flag  of  truce,  having  a  letter  from 
Commodore  Hill  jar  to  Captain  Porter.  Lieut.  Ingraham  informed 
Captain  Porter,  that  Commodore  Hillyar  had  heard  Captain  P.  had 
called  him  a  coward  for  running  away  from  the  Essex,  and  begged 
to  know  if  it  was  the  case.  Capt.  Porter  informed  him  that  con- 
sidering the  circumstance  of  the  challenge,  and  the  conduct  of  the 
Phoebe  in  bearing  up,  he  believed  anything  he  could  have  said  on 
the  occasion  justifiable.  Lieut.  Ingraham  assured  Captain  Por- 
ter, that  no  challenge  was  intended,  and  that  the  gun  was  fired 
by  accident.  Capt.  P.  said  he  supposed  it  to  be  a  challenge  at 
that  time,  and  had  accepted  it ;  and  that  he  should  accept  another, 
if  given  by  the  Phoebe,  observing,  "  it  cannot  be  expected  that  I 
would  take  upon  myself  the  responsibility  of  challenging  a  36  gun 
frigate,  with  a  frigate  of  32  guns  :  as  my  country  would  censure 
me,  should  I  prove  unsuccessful ;  but  the  difference  of  force  will 
not  prevent  my  accepting  a  challenge  given  by  Captain  Hillyar. 

The  Phoebe  and  Cherub  ever  after,  kept  close  together,  and 
showed  a  determination  of  not  risking  an  action,  unless  they  could 
both  engage  the  Essex. 

John  Downes. 

After  these  events  the  Phoebe  and  Cherub  kept  a  close 
blockade,  off' the  harbor,  and  an  end  was  put  to  the  paper 
war  which  had  been  carried  on  quite  long  enough.  Capt. 
Porter  not  finding  it  likely  that  he  should  be  able  to  bring 
the  Phoebe  to  action  singly,  determined  to  put  to  sea  on  the 
first  opportunity,  and  give  the  enemy  the  slip.  His  main 
object  in  departing  was  to  avoid  the  Tagus  38,  and  two 
other  frigates  which  had  sailed  for  the  Pacific  in  pursuit  of 
him.  The  Raccoon  was  also  expected  from  the  1^.  W. 
coast,  where  she  had  been  sent  to  destroy  our  fur  estab- 
lishments, on  the  Columbia  river.  A  rendezvous  was 
appointed  for  the  Essex  junior,  and  every  arrangement 
made  for  sailing,  and  it  was  the  Captain's  intention  to  let 
the  enemy  chase  him  off' the  coast,  to  give  the  Essex  junior 
a  chance  to  escape. 

On  the  28th  of  March,  1814,  the  wind  came  on  to  blow 
fresh  from  the  southward,  when  the  Essex  parted  her  lar- 
board cable  and  dragged  the  starboard  anchor  directly  to 
sea.  ITot  a  moment  was  lost  in  getting  sail  on  the  ship. 
The  enemy  were  close  in  with  the  point,  forming  the  west 
side  of  the  bay,  but  on  opening  them.  Captain  Porter 
30 


234         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

thought  he  saw  an  opportunity  to  pass  to  the  windward  of 
them.  On  account  of  the  freshness  of  the  wind,  he  took  in 
the  top  gallant  sails  which  were  set  over  single  reefed  top- 
sails, hut  as  she  rounded  the  point  the  ship  was  struck  by 
a  heavy  squall,  which  carried  away  the  main  top  mast, 
throwing  the  men  who  were  aloft  into  the  sea  wliere  they 
were  drowned. 

The  only  thing  now  to  be  done,  was  to  endeavor  to  re- 
gain the  port,  or  else  fight  both  the  British  ships  in  this 
crippled  condition.  Finding  that  the  ship  was  too  much 
disabled  to  beat  up  to  the  anchorage,  Capt.  Porter  stood 
across  the  harbor  and  ran  into  a  small  bay  about  three 
quarters  of  a  mile  to  leeward  of  the  battery,  on  the 
east  side  of  the  harbor,  where  he  anchored  within  pistol 
shot  of  the  shore,  intending  to  repair  damages.  The  Essex 
was  now  about  three  miles  from  the  town  of  Valparaiso,  a 
mile  and  a  half  from  Castle  Viejo,  and  half  a  mile  from  a 
detached  battery  consisting  of  one  24  pounder. 

It  may  here  be  remarked,  that  though  the  inhabitants  of 
Valparaiso  were  still  friendly  to  the  Americans,  the  policy 
of  the  Chilian  government  had  changed  since  the  Essex's 
former  visit,  and  they  now  favored  the  interests  of  the  Eng- 
lish on  all  occasions,  in  preference  to  those  of  our  country- 
men ;  and  it  is  not  unlikely  that  the  Chilians  acquiesced  in 
the  violation  of  the  neutrality  of  the  port,  which  shortly 
afterwards  took  place. 

^Notwithstanding  the  Essex  had  anchored  within  the 
limits  of  the  harbor  and  close  to  the  shore,  the  British 
ships  continued  to  approach  with  the  evident  intention  of 
attacking  her  regardless  of  the  neutrality  of  the  place. 
They  had  all  their  motto  flags  hoisted,  and  approached  the 
crippled  Essex  so  cautiously,  that  it  looked  as  if  they 
hardly  thought  it  safe  to  attack  her  even  in  her  disabled 
condition.  The  Americans,  though  still  doubting  if  the 
British  would  be  base  enough  to  attack  them,  cleared  ship 
for  action,  which  they  had  hardly  accomplished,  when  at 
54  minutes  past  3,  the  enemy  commenced  the  attack,  plac- 
ing the  Phoebe  under  the  Essex's  stern  and  the  Cherub  on 
her  starboard  bow. 

The  Phoebe's  fire  proved  very  destructive,  as  she  occu- 
pied a  position  where,  with  her  long  guns,  she  could  rake 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         235 

the  Essex,  which  vessel  coald  scarcely  bring  a  gun  to  bear 
on  her,  while  the  Cherub  was  pouring  in  a  galling  fire. 
The  latter  vessel,  however,  soon  found  her  position  such 
a  hot  one  that  she  ran  down  to  leeward,  near  the  Phoebe, 
where  both  ships  kept  up  a  raking  fire  on  the  American 
frigate.  Capt.  Porter  now  got  three  long  twelve  pounders 
out  of  the  stern  ports  which  were  worked  with  such  skill 
and  courage,  that  in  half  an  hour  both  the  enemy's  vessels 
hauled  off  to  repair  damages,  which  is  admitted  in  the 
British  account  of  the  battle. 

During  this  first  attack  Capt.  Porter  had  succeeded, 
through  the  exertions  of  the  master,  Mr.  Barnwell,  and 
the  boatswain,  Mr.  Linscott,  in  getting  springs  on  the 
cables  three  different  times,  but  before  the  ship's  broadside 
could  be  brought  to  bear  on  the  enemy,  they  were  cut 
away  by  the  excessive  fire  of  the  British.  The  Essex  had 
been  frequently  hulled,  and  several  of  her  crew  killed  and 
wounded,  but  notwithstanding  the  unfavorable  circum- 
stances under  which  they  were  engaged  in  fighting  against 
so  superior  a  force,  it  was  not  possible  forofiicers  and  men 
to  conduct  themselves  in  a  more  cool  or  gallant  manner. 
All  seemed  determined  to  defend  their  ship  to  the  last, 
and  die  rather  than  surrender  ignominiously. 

The  enemy  soon  finished  his  repairs  and  the  Phoebe  and 
Cherub  now  took  up  a  position  on  the  Essex's  starboard 
quarter,  out  of  the  reach  of  her  carronades,  and  where  her 
long  guns  could  not  be  brought  to  bear  upon  them.  The 
fire  was  very  galling  and  Capt.  Porter  had  no  other  alter- 
native than  to  get  under  way  and  become  the  assailant. 
The  top  sail  sheets  and  halliards  having  all  been  shot  away, 
the  flying  jib  was  the  only  sail  that  could  be  hoisted.  The 
flying  jib  was  set,  and  the  cable  cut,  and  with  the  sails 
hanging  from  the  yards  the  Essex  ran  down  upon  her 
assailants,  and  for  a  short  time  succeeded  in  closing  with 
them  (so  as  to  use  her  carronades),  and  open  a  very  de- 
structive fire  On  the  enemy.  The  Cherub  was  forced  to 
haul  oft'  and  for  a  few  moments  the  hope  was  entertained 
that  the  enemy  would  be  so  far  disabled  as  to  enable  the 
Essex  to  escape. 

The  Americans  fought  with  desperation,  fully  justifying 
the   high   expectations  their  commander  had   formed  of 


236  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

tlicm.  Tlie  decks  were  now  strewn  with  the  dead,  the 
ship  had  heen  several  times  on  fire,  the  cock-pit  was  filled 
with  the  wounded,  yet  there  was  no  talk  of  surrender. 
The  Cherub  did  not  again  return  to  close  action,  but  kept 
up  a  distant  fire  with  her  long  guns,  which  both  the  British 
ships  were  enabled  to  do,  their  sails  and  masts  not  having 
been  crippled.  The  Phoebe  chose  the  distance  best  suited 
to  her  long  18s,  where  out  of  the  range  of  the  Essex's 
carronades,  she  kept  up  a  deliberate  fire,  which  told 
severely  on  the  Americans,  and  this  advantage  she  main- 
tained to  the  end.  Many  of  the  Essex's  guns  were  by 
this  time  disabled,  and  some  of  them  had  lost  their  entire 
crews.  As  the  men  fell  at  the  guns,  their  places  were 
supplied  by  others,  and  one  gun  in  particular,  was  manned 
three  times  during  the  action,  fifteen  men  having  been 
slain,  the  captain  of  the  gun  alone  escaping. 

The  action  had  now  lasted  nearly  two  hours,  and  finding 
it  impossible  to  close  with  an  adversary  who  chose  his  dis- 
tance at  pleasure,  and  the  wind  for  the  moment  favoring  the 
design,  Capt.  Porter  determined  to  run  his  ship  on  shore, 
land  his  men  and  destroy  her.  For  a  few  moments  every- 
thing seemed  to  favor  his  wishes,  and  the  Essex  had  got 
within  musket  shot  of  the  beach,  when  the  wind  suddenly 
shifted  ofi^'  the  land,  and  payed  the  ship's  head  down  to- 
wards the  Phoebe,  which  left  her  exposed  again  to  a  raking 
fire.  Still  as  the  Essex  was  now  closing  again  with  the 
enemy,  it  was  hoped  to  get  alongside  the  Phoebe,  and  carry 
her  by  boarding. 

At  this  moment  Lieut.  Downes  went  on  board,  to  re- 
ceive orders,  under  the  impression  that  the  Essex  would 
soon  have  to  surrender.  He  could  be  of  no  use  in  the 
then  wretched  condition  of  the  ship,  and  finding  that  the 
enemy  were  not  going  to  give  him  a  chance  to  board,  Capt. 
Porter  directed  him  to  return  to  the  Essex  junior  and  be 
prepared  to  destroy  her  in  case  of  necessity. 

The  slaughter  on  board  the  Essex  was  now  terrible,  the 
enemy  raking  her  continually  without  her  being  able  to 
bring  a  gun  to  bear ;  the  Captain,  therefore,  directed  a 
hawser  to  be  bent  to  the  sheet  anchor,  and  the  anchor  to 
be  cut  from  the  bow,  to  bring  the  ship's  head  round.  This 
succeeded,  and  the  Essex's  broadside  was  again  brought  to 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.        '2^7 

bear  and  the  enemy  would,  probably,  have  drifted  out  of 
gun  shot,  before  he  discovered  she  had  anchored  when  the 
hawser  unfortunately  parted. 

During  the  action,  the  American  consul  general,  Mr. 
Poinsett,  demanded  of  the  governor,  that  the  batteries  of 
Valparaiso  should  protect  the  Essex,  but  he  received  only 
an  evasive  promise,  that  if  the  ship  should  reach  the  ordi- 
nary anchorage,  he  would  request  the  English  commander 
'to  cease  the  attack.  He,  however,  declined  resorting  to 
force  in  any  case,  and  did  not  seem  at  all  concerned  at  the 
violation  of  the  neutrality  of  the  port.  There  was  un- 
doubtedly collusion  between  the  British  and  the  Chilian 
authorities  from  the  first,  and  the  Essex  would  have  been 
attacked  long  before,  but  for  the  risk  of  injuring  the  ship- 
ping and  the  town.  Mr.  Poinsett  was  so  fully  satisfied  of 
this,  that  he  took  the  first  occasion  to  demand  his  passports^, 
and  return  to  the  United  States. 

The  Essex  had  been  on  fire  several  times  during  the  ac- 
tion, and  at  one  moment  alarmingly  so,  the  flames  burst- 
ing up  each  hatchway.  The  ship  was  now  within  three 
quarters  of  a  mile  of  the  shore,  and  it  was  hoped  that  many 
of  the  crew  might  save  themselves  should  she  blow 
up,  as  the  fire  was  reported  to  be  near  the  magazine ;  and 
the  explosion  of  some  powder  below,  served  to  increase 
the  apprehension  of  the  ship's  destruction.  The  boats  had 
all  been  destroyed  by  the  enemy's  shot,  and  Capt.  Porter 
therefore  considered  himself  justified  in  authorizing  all 
those  who  could  swim  to  try  and  gain  the  shore.  Some 
reached  the  land,  some  were  taken  by  the  enemy,  but  the 
majority  preferred  remaining  to  share  the  fate  of  the  ship 
they  had  so  nobly  defended.  Those  who  remained  gave 
their  attention  to  the  work  of  extinguishing  the  flames,  and 
when  they  had  succeeded  went  again  to  the  few  guns  they 
could  use,  and  recommenced  firing  on  the  British,  who 
amidst  all  the  horrors  of  the  fire,  had  kept  up  an  incessant 
cannonade  from  their  long  guns. 

The  sea  was  as  smooth  as  glass,  and  the  Essex  lay  like 
a  target,  riddled  by  every  shot  from  the  enemy.  The  crew 
were  completely  exhausted,  and  had  become  so  weakened 
in  numbers,  that  they  entreated  the  Captain  to  surrender, 
in  order  to  save  the  lives  of  the  wounded.     Capt.  Porter 


238  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

felt,  himself,  that  further  resistance  was  useless,  and  that 
it  was  impossible  for  his  wreck  of  a  vessel  to  succeed 
against  the  two  ships,  which  were  coolly  boring  her 
through  and  through,  at  every  discharge  of  their  long 
guns. 

The  Captain  now  summoned  the  officers  of  divisions  for 
consultation,  but  could  find  but  one  remaining,  Lieut. 
Stephen  Decatur  McKnight,  who  confirmed  the  report  re- 
specting the  condition  of  affairs.  Mr.  Wilmer,  the  first 
lieutenant,  after  fighting  most  gallantly  throughout  the 
action,  was  knocked  overboard  by  a  splinter.  Lieut. 
Cowell  had  lost  a  leg,  Mr.  Barnwell,  the  master,  had  been 
carried  below,  severely  wounded,  and  Lieut.  Odenheimer 
had  been  knocked  overboard  and  did  not  regain  the  ship 
until  after  she  had  surrendered.  The  cockpit  and  steerage 
could  contain  no  more  of  the  wounded,  who  were  killed 
in  several  instances  while  the  surgeon  was  dressing  their 
wounds.  The  ship,  it  was  evident  from  the  number  of 
holes  in  her  bottom,  could  not  long  be  kept  afloat.  All 
the  carpenter's  crew  were  either  killed  or  wounded,  and 
the  carpenter  himself,  in  stopping  some  shot  holes  in  the 
sides,  had  the  slings  shot  away  and  came  very  near  drowning. 
It  was  nothing  but  a  useless  waste  of  life  to  continue  such 
an  unequal  struggle,  and  accordingly  at  twenty  minutes 
past  six  the  order  was  given  to  haul  down  the  colors. 
This  was  the  most  painful  order  that  Captain  Porter  gave 
in  his  life,  although  he  had  defended  his  ship  with  a  hero- 
ism seldom  equalled,  and  never  surpassed.  Seventy-five 
officers  and  men  were  all  that  remained  capable  of  doing 
duty,  some  of  whom  afterwards  died  from  wounds  received. 

The  enemy  still  kept  up  their  fire,  nfter  the  colors  were 
struck,  and  four  men  fell  near  the  Captain,  although  an 
opposite  gun  was  fired  from  the  Essex,  to  indicate  the  sur- 
render. Thinking  that  the  English  intended  to  show  no 
quarter,  Capt.  Porter  was  about  to  again  hoist  the  colors, 
when  ten  minutes  after  the  surrender,  the  enemy  ceased 
firing. 

Thus  ended  this  bloody  encounter ;  bloody  on  one  side 
only,  for  the  English  did  not  sufier  materially  in  killed 
and  wounded.  The  Essex  lost  fifty-eight  killed,  and  sixty- 
six  wounded,  a  total  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-four,  or 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         239 

nearly  one  half  of  those  who  were  on  board  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  action.  Of  the  thirty-one  missing,  the 
greater  part  were  probably  drowned  in  attempting  to  swim 
on  shore,  or  were  knocked  overboard  by  splinters,  so  that 
out  of  two  hundred  and  twenty-five,  the  loss  was  actually 
one  hundred  and  fifty-five. 

'No  one  can  fail  to  remark  the  great  disparity  of  force  in 
this  engagement,  for,  except  during  the  few  moments 
when  the  Essex  closed  with  the  enemy,  and  could  make 
use  of  her  carronades,  she  fought  the  action  with  her  six 
long  twelve  pounders,  opposed  to  fifteen  long  eighteen 
pounders  on  board  the  Phoebe,  and  the  long  guns  of  the 
Cherub,  and  by  the  carronades  of  the  two  ships,  while 
they  lay  on  the  Essex's  quarter,  where  she  could  not  bring 
a  gun  to  bear.  The  English  official  report  makes  the 
Phoebe's  loss  four  killed  and  seven  wounded ;  that  of  the 
Cherub,  one  killed  and  three  wounded,  and  there  seems 
to  be  no  reason  to  dispute  the  truth  of  this  account, 
although  it  is  strange  that  with  such  accurate  firing  as  to 
put  eighteen  twelve  pound  shot  into  the  Phoebe  below  the 
water  line,  the  mortality  on  board  that  ship  should  have 
been  so  small. 

The  two  English  ships  were  much  cut  up  aloft  and  in 
their  hulls,  and  no  doubt  if  the  Essex  could  have  en- 
countered them  under  her  three  topsails,  she  would  have 
beaten  them  offl 

Although  the  engagement  lasted  nearly  two  hours  and 
a  half,  Capt.  Hillyar  in  his  report  evidently  seeks  to  con- 
vey the  impression  that  it  was  terminated  much  sooner ;  a 
statement  which  could  have  been  contradicted,  if  neces- 
sary, by  the  thousands  of  spectators  who  witnessed  the 
battle  from  the  hills  of  Valparaiso.  It  is  estimated  that 
seven  hundred  eighteen  pound  shot  were  fired  at  the  Essex, 
and  that  the  latter  fired  her  twelve  long  guns  seventy-five 
times  each. 

After  the  lapse  of  sixty  years,  one  can  examine  more 
dispassionately  into  this  aftair,  than  was  possible  at  the 
time  of  its  occurrence.  It  caused  great  excitement  through- 
out the  United  States  and  called  forth  severe  strictures 
against  Capt.  Hilly ar's  conduct  in  violating  the  neutrality 
of  the  port,  after  Porter's  magnanimity  in  sparing  the 


240  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

Phoebe,  when  she  was  completely  at  his  mercy.  The  Brit- 
ish captain  no  doubt  conformed  strictly  to  orders  from  his 
government,  to  capture  the  Essex,  whenever  circumstances 
would  permit  (regardless  of  consequences),  in  order  to  stop 
the  havoc  which  she  was  committing  on  British  commerce. 

Capt.  Hillyar's  situation  must  have  been  anything  but  a 
pleasant  one,  and  less  enviable,  under  the  circumstances, 
than  that  of  Porter ;  for  it  can  never  be  a  pleasant  reflec- 
tion to  an  officer,  no  matter  what  applause  he  may  have 
gained  from  his  government,  to  feel  that  he  has  vio- 
lated the  principles  of  honor  and  generosity,  and  disre- 
garded the  sacred  rights  of  neutrality.  For  six  weeks, 
Capt.  Hillyar  had  been  offered  fair  and  honorable  combat, 
on  terms  greatly  to  his  advantage,  and  such  as  his  govern- 
ment would  no  doubt  have  justified  him  in  accepting;  for 
we  cannot  conceive,  that  with  all  the  prestige  of  Great 
Britain  upon  the  ocean,  she  would  desire  one  of  her  officers 
to  decline  an  engagement  with  an  inferior  force. 

Captain  Hillyar's  report  to  his  government,  detailing  the 
capture  of  the  Essex,  is  not  creditable  to  him,  inasmuch  as 
he  treats  the  capture  of  that  vessel,  after  a  brave  defense,  as 
a  matter  of  small  moment,  and  a  foregone  conclusion; 
whereas,  had  he  felt  that  security  of  success,  which  he 
leaves  us  to  infer,  he  should  have  taken  advantage  of  the 
several  opportunities  that  had  been  offered  him,  to  add  to 
the  laurels  previously  gathered  by  the  British  navy. 

Soon  after  the  capture  of  the  Essex,  Captain  Porter  en- 
tered into  an  agreement  with  Captain  Hillyar  to  disarm  the 
Essex  junior,  and  proceed  with  his  surviving  officers  and 
crew  to  the  United  States,  Captain  Hillyar  furnishing  a 
passport  to  secure  her  from  recapture.  The  ship  was  too 
small  to  properly  accommodate  so  many  people,  but  they 
were  all  willing  to  suffer  any  inconvenience,  in  order  to 
reach  their  native  land,  where  they  might  once  more  have 
it  in  their  power  to  serve  their  country. 

Whatever  blame  may  be  attached  to  Captain  Hillyar's 
conduct  before  the  capture  of  the  Essex,  his  subsequent 
proceedings  were  marked  by  the  greatest  humanity  toward 
the  wounded,  and  he  did  all  in  his  power  to  alleviate  the 
distresses  of  war  by  a  generous  deportment  towards  his 
prisoners,  indicating  that  a  higher  authority  than  his  per- 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         241 

sonal  feelings  had  dictated  what  must  have  been  the 
painful  course  of  capturing  a  crippled  ship  in  a  neutral 
harbor. 

In  taking  leave  of  Capt.  Hillyar,  Capt.  Porter,  after 
thanking  him  for  his  attentions,  took  occasion  to  remark 
that  although  he  should  lose  no  opportunity  to  do  him 
full  justice  on  the  score  of  humanity,  in  the  treatment  of 
his  prisoners,  yet  he  should  nevertheless  be  perfectly  plain 
in  making  known  Hillyar's  conduct,  in  attacking  the  Essex 
in  the  manner  he  had  done.  The  tears  came  into  Hillyar's 
eyes,  and  grasping  Porter's  hand,  he  exclaimed,  ''  My 
dear  Porter,  you  know  not  the  responsibility  that  hung 
over  me  with  respect  to  your  ship ;  perhaps  my  life  de- 
pended on  my  taking  her."  E'o  explanations  were  asked, 
and  none  were  given,  and  Captain  Hillyar  has  long  since 
gone  to  his  grave  leaving  to  his  descendants,  or  to  his  go- 
vernment the  duty  of  doing  him  justice  in  this  matter.  It 
was,  however,  asserted  at  the  time,  and  we  have  no  reason 
to  doubt  the  truth  of  the  report,  that  an  admiralty  order 
was  issued  to  officers  in  the  South  seas,  not  to  respect  the 
neutrality  of  any  port  where  the  Essex  should  be  found; 
and  it  is  not  unlikely,  that  Captain  Hillyar  may  have  anti- 
cipated the  fate  of  Byng,  if  he  had  allowed  the  Essex  to 
escape  from  Valparaiso. 

The  capture  of  the  Essex  cost  the  British  government 
great  anxiety  and  expense,  and  was  only  effected  after  she 
had  entirely  destroyed  their  whale  fishery  in  the  Pacific. 
The  fact  of  their  sending  so  superior  a  force  in  pursuit 
of  her,  with  orders  to  leave  nothing  to  chance,  shows  the 
importance  they  attached  to  her  capture. 

Captain  Porter  sailed  from  Valparaiso,  in  the  Essex 
junior,  on  the  27th  of  April,  1814,  and  made  every  effort 
to  reach  home  in  time  to  fit  out  ships  to  intercept  the 
Phcebe  and  her  prize  in  the  British  channel ;  and  favored 
by  the  winds,  of  which  they  took  every  advantage,  they 
arrived  oft'  Sandy  Hook  on  the  5th  of  July,  where  they  fell 
in  with  H.  B.  M.  ship  Saturn,  Captain  iTash.  This  officer, 
at  first  treated  Captain  Porter  with  great  civility,  furnished 
him  with  late  newspapers  and  sent  him  a  present  of  fruit. 
The  boarding  officer,  after  examining  the  papers  of  the 
Essex  junior,  suftered  her  to  proceed  and  she  stood  along 
31 


242  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

on  the  same  tack  with  the  British  ship,  but  in  about 
two  hours  she  was  again  hove  to  by  the  Saturn.  An  officer 
now  came  on  board  and  reexamined  the  papers,  and  with 
the  boat's  crew  overhauled  the  ship's  hold.  The  cause  of 
this  strange  proceeding  was  unknown,  and  when  Capt. 
Porter  expressed  his  astonishment,  he  was  informed  that 
Captain  Nash  had  his  motives,  and  doubted  whether 
Captain  Hillyar  had  authority  to  make  such  an  arrange- 
ment as  he  had  entered  into  with  Captain  Porter,  and  that 
the  Essex  junior  must  be  detained  for  a  short  time.  Cap- 
tain Porter  protested  against  any  detention,  and  informed 
the  boarding  officer  that  he  should  no  longer  consider  him- 
self on  parole ;  he  then  offered  the  British  officer  his  sword, 
with  the  remark  that  he  delivered  it  with  the  same  feelings 
with  which  he  had  surrendered  it  to  Captain  Hillyar. 
The  boarding  officer  declined  to  receive  the  sword,  but 
after  visiting  the  Saturn  returned  with  an  order  from 
Captain  jN'ash,  that  the  Essex  junior  should  remain  all  night 
under  the  lee  of  the  British  ship.  Whereupon  Capt.  Porter 
exclaimed,  "  Tell  the  captain  that  I  am  his  prisoner,  and 
do  not  consider  myself  any  longer  bound  by  my  contract 
with  Captain  Hillyar,  which  he  has  violated,  and  I  shall  act 
accordingly." 

At  7  next  morning  the  wind  being  quite  light  and  the 
Essex  junior  still  detained  under  the  guns  of  the  Saturn, 
Captain  Porter  feeling  very  uncertain  as  to  the  intentions 
of  the  British  commander,  ordered  a  boat  to  be  lowered 
and  manned,  and  left  the  ship  leaving  a  message  for  Capt. 
E"ash,  that  he  considered  most  British  officers  regardless 
of  each  other's  honor,  that  he  had  escaped,  was  armed  and 
prepared  to  defend  himself  and  if  met  it  must  be  as  an  enemy. 
Captain  Porter  had  got  nearly  a  gun  shot  from  the  Saturn, 
before  his  departure  was  noticed;  at  that  instant  afresh 
breeze  springing  up,  the  British  ship  made  sail  after  the 
boat  but  fortunately  a  thick  fog  set  in,  and  the  pursuer 
was  baffled.  After  sailing  and  rowing  about  sixty  miles, 
Porter  landed  near  the  town  of  Babylon,  Long  Island, 
where  his  account  of  himself  was  at  first  discredited,  and 
he  was  obliged  to  produce  his  commission,  to  c^j^nvince 
the  inhabitants  that  he  was  not  a  British  officer.  When 
their  doubts  were  removed  he  was  treated  with  all  hospi- 
tality. 


ij»;-    vy-ns: 


•^ 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         243 

The  Essex  junior  was  detained  the  whole  of  the  day  fol- 
lowing Captain  Porter's  escape,  and  searched,  it  was  said, 
for  the  purpose  of  finding  money.  Her  crew  was  mus- 
tered under  plea  of  looking  for  deserters,  her  officers 
insulted,  and  finally,  after  inflicting  all  the  annoyance  possi- 
ble, Capt.  I^ash  permitted  the  vessel  to  proceed  to  E"ew 
York,  where  she  was  condemned  and  sold  for  the  benefit  of 
the  captors. 

The  English  spread  the  report  through  their  news- 
papers, that  Capt.  Porter's  escape  was  a  breach  of  parole, 
and  it  was  asserted  that  Admiral  Cochrane  had  mustered 
the  oflicers  of  his  fleet  on  the  quarter  deck,  and  declared 
that  Porter  was  out  of  the  pale  of  honor  and  must  be 
treated  accordingly ;  but  the  correspondence  between  the ' 
agents  of  the  two  governments  shows  that  Capt.  Porter 
was,  b}^  the  admiral's  own  admission,  discharged  from  his 
parole,  and  as  free  to  serve  his  country  as  if  he  had  never 
been  made  prisoner.  The  following  copy  of  the"*passport, 
or  safe  conduct,  given  by  Captain  Hillyar  to  Porter,  shows 
that  the  contract  on  the  part  of  the  British  was  virtually 
broken. 

By  James  Hillyar,  Esq.,  Captain  of  his  majesty's  ship  Phoebe, 
and  senior  officer  of  his  majesty's  ships  in  Valparaiso  Bay. 

I  hereby  certify,  that  I  have  on  the  part  of  his  Britannic  majesty, 
entered  into  an  agreement  with  Captain  David  Porter,  of  the  United 
States  navy,  and  late  commander  of  the  frigate  Essex,  who  on  the 
part  of  his  government  engages  as  follows,  to  wit : 

That  himself,  his  officers  and  crew,  will  proceed  to  the  United 
States  in  the  ship  called  the  Essex  junior,  as  a  cartel  commanded  by 
Lieut.  John  Downes,  of  the  United  States  navy,  and  having  a  crew 
consisting  of  the  officers  and  men  named  in  the  annexed  list. 

That  the  said  Captain  Porter,  his  officers  and  crew,  a  list  of  which 
is  subjoined,  will  remain  on  board  on  parole,  not  to  take  arms 
against  Great  Britain  until  regularly  ^exchanged :  and  that  he 
pledges  his  honor  to  fulfil  the  foregoing  conditions. 

I  therefore  request,  that  the  said  ship,  the  Essex  junior,  may  be 
permitted  to  pass  freely  to  the  United  States,  without  any  impedi- 
ment; and  that  the  officers  commanding  his  majesty's  ships  of  war, 
as  well  as  private  armed  vessels,  and  all  others  in  authority  under 
the  British  government,  as  also  those  in  alliance  with  his  said 
majesty,  will  give  the  said  David  Porter,  his  officers  and  crew,  and 
the  crew  of  the  aforesaid  ship,  called  the  Essex  junior,  every  aid 


244  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

and  assistance  to  enable  them  to  arrive  at  the  place  of  their  destina- 
tion. 

And  as  it  may  become  necessary  for  the  Essex  junior  to  touch 
at  one  or  more  places,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  refreshments 
and  supplies,  it  is  requested  that  in  such  case,  all  to  whom  this 
passport  may  be  presented,  will  give  the  persons  on  board  said  ship 
every  facility  in  supplying  their  wants,  and  permit  them  to  depart 
with  her  without  hinderance. 

Given  under  my  hand,  on  board  his  majesty's  ship  Phoebe,  at 
Valparaiso,  April  1814. 

James  Hillyar. 

The  following  letter,  from  the  Honorable  William  Jones 
to  Captain  Porter,  is  inserted  to  show  the  sentiments  of 
the  navy  department  in  regard  to  the  detention  of  the 
Essex  junior  by  Capt.  jN"ash  of  the  British  navy,  showing 
that  whatever  action  was  taken  with  regard  to  dissolving 
Capt.  Porter's  parole  was  authorized  by  the  United  States 
government : 

Navy  Department,  July  13,  1814. 

Sir :  I  have  before  me  your  letter  of  the  9th,  which  has  been 
exhibited  to  the  president  and  received  his  attention.  The  conduct 
of  the  commander  of  the  Saturn  has  excited  in  his  breast,  as  it  must 
in  every  liberal  and  correct  mind,  the  most  indignant  feelings. 

The  history  and  presence  of  the  brave  remnant  of  the  crew  of  the 
Essex,  was  alone  calculated  to  inspire  a  generous  sympathy,  and 
courteous  demeanor,  though  the  highest  safeguard  known  to  civilized 
warfare  had  not  guarantied  their  exemption  from  molestation ;  and 
it  is  difficult  to  reconcile  the  absence  of  those  feelings  with  the  cha- 
racter Captain  Nash  doubtless  aspires  to. 

The  circumstances  of  your  escape  from  the  Essex  junior,  while 
under  detention,  would,  it  is  believed,  sustain  yourself  and  your  go- 
vernment in  dissolving  your  parole;  but  as  the  Essex  junior  was 
suffered  to  proceed  under  the  original  passport,  though  indecently 
detained,  and  rudely  treated,  the  scrupulously  exact  and  liberal  con- 
duct of  the  government  of  the  United  States,  in  despite  of  the 
injustice  and  illiberality  which  it  has  received  from  the  hands  of  the 
enemy,  may  possibly  induce  the  president  to  waive  the  right  which 
the  violation  in  this  case  would  enable  him  to  assert.  The  matter 
however  is  still  under  consideration  and  will  be  decided  upon  in  due 
time. 

Your  officers  will,  for  the  present,  and  until  further  order  can  be 
taken,  remain  attached  to  the  Essex  junior.  Your  crew  will  be  im- 
mediately paid  off,  upon  a  requisition  being  made  upon  the  agent  at 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  245 

New  York  for  the  amount  of  the  balances  due  them,  which  shall  be 
remitted  to  him  without  delay.  I  have  this  day  accepted  Purser 
Shaw's  bills  for  $29,000  approved  by  yourself. 

You  will  proceed  to  join  your  friends  at  your  pleasure  ;  and  after 
having  consoled  them  for  your  long  absence,  we  shall  be  gratified 
with  your  presence  here. 

The  court  of  inquiry  will  be  ordered  to  be  held  either  in  Philadel- 
phia or  New  York,  as  may  best  suit  your  convenience.  I  confirm 
the  purchase  of  the  Essex  junior  for  the  navy  of  the  United  States 
at  the  sum  of  $25,000. 

You  will  please  to  transmit  to  this  department  the  valuation  made 
by  the  persons  appointed  by  you  for  that  purpose. 

I  am  very  respectfully,  sir, 

Your  obedient  servant, 
Captain  David  Porter,  U.  S.  Navy,  New  York.  W.  Jones. 

There  is  scarcely  a  circumstance  connected  with  the  con- 
duct of  the  British,  from  the  moment  of  the  attack  on  the 
Essex  to  the  time  the  Essex  junior  was  arrested  in  her  voyage, 
which  does  not  deserve  severe  condemnation.  It  marks  the 
difference  between  the  manner  in  which  the  little  navy  of  the 
United  States  carried  on  the  war,  compared  with  England 
and  her  thousand  ships,  and  it  is  another  evidence  of  the 
destruction  our  navy  was  dealing  to  British  commerce, 
and  the  humiliation  to  British  pride  that  the  government 
should  become  so  regardless  of  the  rights  of  neutrals,  as  to 
direct  the  capture  of  certain  vessels  under  any  and  all  cir- 
cumstances. All  authorities  on  international  law  concur 
in  the  opinion,  that  it  is  strictly  forbidden,  as  well  by  the 
universal  law  as  by  the  laws  and  treaties  of  all  nations,  to 
commence  or  continue  any  act  of  violence  against  any  ship 
whatever,  within  the  limits  of  the  maritime  jurisdiction  of 
a  friendly  and  neutral  state. 

On  the  faith  of  this  law  of  nations,  which  is  familiar  to 
every  naval  officer,  a  ship  of  war  should  be  able  to  enter 
the  port  of  any  neutral  with  full  confidence  that  he  would 
be  secure  against  any  force  of  his  enemies,  and  it  was  this 
confidence  that  Great  Britain  would  respect  the  universal 
law,  which  led  Captain  Porter  to  anchor  his  crippled  ship, 
not  supposing  that  she  would  be  attacked  within  pistol 
shot  of  the  shore.  Had  he  supposed  that  this  would  be 
done,  not  only  in  violation  of  neutrality  l^ut  also  of  the 


246  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

plighted  faith  of  a  British  officer,  Capt.  Porter  would  have 
landed  his  men  and  blown  up  his  ship,  and  thus  deprived 
his  enemy  of  a  trophy  which  added  nothing  to  his  renown, 
and  saved  the  lives  of  his  brave  officers  and  men,  who,  re- 
posing too  much  faith  in  the  honor  of  their  foes,  fell  vic- 
tims to  their  own  confidence. 

The  action  of  the  Chilian  government,  in  denying  to 
the  Essex  that  protection  which  a  neutral  is  bound  to 
grant  under  such  circumstances,  was  due  to  the  fact  that 
there  had  lately  been  a  change  in  the  administratiou, 
by  which  the  particular  friends  of  the  United  States  had 
been  deprived  of  power,  and  thrown  into  prison.  It  be- 
came, therefore,  the  great  object  of  the  faction  in  power, 
to  conciliate  the  English  by  evincing  hostility  to  the  Ameri- 
cans. Had  the  Chilians  possessed  the  sensibility  which 
once  influenced  their  Spanish  ancestors,  they  would  have 
insisted  on  the  restoration  of  the  Essex,  with  all  the  brave 
survivors  of  that  glorious  defeat. 

The  reader,  who  has  taken  any  interest  in  the  transac- 
tions related  in  these  memoirs,  will  naturally  desire  to 
know  the  fate  of  Lieut.  Gamble  of  the  marines,  and  his 
companions,  who  were  left  at  jN'ookaheevah,  in  charge  of 
the  prize  ships  IsTew  Zealander,  Sir  Andrew  Hammond, 
Greenwich  and  Seringapatam  on  the  18th  of  December, 
1813.  Lieut.  Gamble  had  received  instructions,  that  if  he 
did  not  hear  of  the  Essex  for  five  and  a  half  months,  he 
was  to  repair  with  the  three  ships  to  Valparaiso.  Under 
his  orders  were  left  three  officers  and  twenty-six  men,  six 
of  the  latter  being  prisoners  of  war.  Lieut.  Gamble  soon 
found  that  his  situation  was  a  very  unpleasant  one,  and 
that  it  was  much  easier  to  control  a  large  body  of  men, 
on  board  a  man-of-war,  than  a  few  individuals  relieved,  in 
a  great  measure,  from  the  constraint  of  discipline,  and  with 
very  little  to  occupy  tlieir  time. 

The  Essex  was  hardly  clear  of  the  islands,  before  the 
natives  began  to  prove  troublesome.  The  Englishman 
who  was  found  on  the  island  when  the  Essex  arrived, 
commenced  inciting  the  natives  to  commit  depredations 
upon  the  live  stock  which  Captain  Porter  had  left  behind, 
in  consequence  of  which  Mr.  Gamble  placed  the  ships  in  a 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         247 

state  of  defense  and  landed  six  guns  which  were  placed  on 
Fort  Madison  completely  commanding  the  bay. 

On  sending  a  message  to  the  tribes  of  the  adjacent  valley 
warning  them  not  to  kill  any  more  swine,  they  sent  back 
word  that  they  were  aware  how  few  men  he  had,  that 
Opotee  was  not  coming  back,  and  that  they  would  do  as 
they  pleased.  Thereupon,  Lieut.  Gamble  warned  the  old 
chief  Gattanewa,  that  unless  the  stolen  swine  was  restored, 
he  would  proceed  through  the  valley  with  an  armed  force 
and  destroy  everything  the  natives  had.  The  old  chief 
sincerely  regretted  the  bad  conduct  of  his  people,  and  tried 
to  make  them  do  better,  but  his  remonstrances  were  un- 
heeded; and  the  natives,  emboldened  by  the  apparent 
weakness  of  the  party,  ventured  into  the  encampment  to 
commit  their  thefts.  Lieut.  Gamble,  finding  that  there 
w^as  no  alternative,  conducted  an  expedition  against  the 
natives,  which  soon  brought  them  to  terms ;  but  during  his 
stay  he  had  several  times  to  repeat  the  operation,  to  make 
the  savages  listen  to  reason. 

At  length  the  iTew  Zealander  was  fitted  for  sea,  and 
dispatched  to  the  United  States,  but  was  unfortunately  re- 
captured by  a  British  cruiser,  within  one  day's  sail  of  ]^ew 
York. 

After  the  sailing  of  the  New  Zealander,  the  remaining 
men  became  exceedingly  insubordinate,  and.  were  con- 
stantly leaving  their  posts  in  defiance  of  orders,  and  Lieut. 
Gamble  was  therefore  obliged  to  inflict  severe  punishment 
on  them  in  his  attempt  to  maintain  discipline.  In  order  to 
try  and  keep  the  natives  in  ignorance  of  the  strength  of  his 
force,  Lieut.  Gamble  gave  orders  to  the  crews  of  his  three 
vessels,  not  to  permit  a  single  native  to  come  alongside ; 
but  one  morning  he  was  informed  that  a  female  was  seen 
to  swim  from  one  of  the  ships  to  the  shore,  carrying  with 
her  a  bundle  of  bread.  Now  Gamble  was  not  a  romantic 
man,  and  he  looked  upon  these  sea  nymphs  as  so  many 
sharks  engaged  in  public  plunder,  and  he  determined  by 
summary  measures  to  put  a  stop  to  these  illicit  proceed- 
ings. Next  night  Midshipmen  Clapp  and  Feltus  were  sent 
quietly  on  board  the  Seringapatara,  and  unexpectedly  enter- 
ing the  cabin,  three  of  the  sea  nymphs  jumped  out  of  the 
cabin  windows  carrying  with  them  a  large  bundle  of  bread 


248         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

for  transportation  to  the  shore.  After  securing  the  fair 
plunderers,  the  Sir  Andrew  Hammond  was  boarded,  and 
though  no  natives  were  found  it  was  evident  they  had  re- 
cently been  there.  The  boat  now  returned  to  the  Green- 
wich with  the  fair  prisoners  (all  women  are  supposed  to 
be  fair),  when  the  unromantic  lieutenant,  forgetful  of  the 
respect  due  to  the  sex,  gave  them  a  spanking^  as  he  con- 
sidered it  necessary  for  the  lives  of  all  his  party  that  his 
weakness  should  not  become  too  well  known  to  the 
savages. 

The  Sir  Andrew  Hammond  was  now  sent  to  the  adjacent 
islands  to  procure  provisions,  the  natives  of  IN'ookaheevah 
professing  to  be  unable  to  keep  up  their  contributions. 
The  cruise  was  successful,  and  for  a  time  the  supply  was 
ample. 

The  sojourn  among  the  islanders  had  greatly  demoral- 
ized the  seamen,  who  were  generally  of  the  lowest  class, 
and  some  of  them  being  Englishmen  who  had  deserted 
their  own  flag,  they  were  ready  to  desert  the  one  under 
which  they  now  served,  on  the  first  opportunity.  Several 
desertions  took  place,  and  when  the  culprits  were  captured 
they  were  punished,  and  a  mutinous  spirit  began  to  be 
manifest  among  the  sailors. 

At  2  o'clock  A.  M.,  of  the  18th  of  April,  three  men  who 
had  been  punished  for  misconduct  deserted  in  one  of  the 
Greenwich's  boats,  carrying  with  them  three  muskets,  a 
supply  of  ammunition  and  all  the  provisions,  clothing,  &c., 
that  they  could  lay  hands  on,  and  to  delay  pursuit  they 
scuttled  the  ship's  other  boat. 

On  the  3d  of  May,  Lieut.  Gamble  found  that  a  boat's 
sail  had  been  stolen  from  the  Greenwich,  and  suspected 
one  Belcher,  a  boatswain's  mate  of  bad  reputation,  of  the 
theft.  Next  day  he  was  informed  that  most  of  the  men 
were  plotting  either  to  mutiny,  or  to  make  their  escape  in 
one  of  the  ships,  and  that  they  were  instigated  by  Belcher 
and  four  of  the  prisoners.  Mr.  Gamble  thought  it  prudent 
to  make  light  of  the  report,  but  took  every  precaution 
against  the  success  of  the  plan,  and  removed  all  the  arms 
and  ammunition  on  board  his  own  ship.  It  was  now  evi- 
dent, from  the  manner  of  the  sailors,  that  a  storm  was 
brewing,  and  that  Lieut.  Gamble's  position  was  becoming 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         249 

critical.  He  knew  that  Belcher  was  a  villain,  and  at  the 
head  of  the  disturbance,  yet  in  the  absence  of  any  very  in- 
subordinate act  he  could  do  nothing,  for  if  he  had  attempted 
to  confine  those  whom  he  had  grounds  to  suspect,  the 
others  would  refuse  to  obey  him.  Such  is  the  force  of  the 
bad  example  of  one  man,  who  will  often  corrupt  a  whole 
ship's  company,  who  without  his  presence  would  have 
given  little  trouble. 

On  the  7th  of  May,  the  mutiny  broke  out.  Lieut.  Gam- 
ble went  on  board  the  Seringaptam  for  the  purpose  of 
having  the  tanks  properly  stowed,  and  upon  reprimanding 
one  of  the  men  for  his  careless  manner  of  working,  the 
villain  called  out  that  he  would  not  obey  the  order  nor  do 
any  more  work  on  board  the  vessel.  The  words  had  no 
sooner  escaped  his  lips  than  all  the  men  on  deck  threw 
down  their  hats  and  refused  to  do  duty.  One  of  the  men 
drew  a  knife,  and  told  his  accomplices  to  seize  Lieut. 
Gamble,  who  made  an  attempt  to  get  into  a  boat,  but  was 
prevented  by  the  mutineers,  who  threw  him  violently  to 
the  deck,  bound  him  hand  and  foot,  and  thrust  him  into 
the  vessel's  run,  where  he  was  soon  joined  by  Midshipmen 
Clapp  and  Feltus,  who  were  treated  in  the  same  brutal 
manner.  The  scuttle  was  then  nailed  down  and  a  sentry 
placed  over  it. 

Sailors,  under  wholesome  discipline,  are  the  most  orderly 
and  well  behaved  people  in  the  world,  capable  of  perform- 
ing acts  of  courage  that  would  do  honor  to  any  one ;  but, 
when  discipline  is  relaxed,  they  are  apt  to  be  mutinous,  in 
which  condition  they  will  stop  at  nothing  to  carry  out  their 
ends.  So  it  was  in  this  case,  the  men  having  mutinied 
they  threw  off  all  restraint,  and  notwithstanding  the  many 
acts  of  kindness  they  had  received  from  Lieut.  Gamble, 
they  treated  him  in  the  most  inhuman  manner.  It  was 
the  mutiny  of  the  Bounty  over  again. 

When  Mr.  Gamble  attempted  to  expostulate,  one  of  the 
ruffians  named  Stanley,  raised  a  maul  and  threatened  to 
dash  his  brains  out  if  he  spoke  another  word ;  but  the 
lieutenant  persisted,  and  demanded  what  -they  were  going 
to  do ;  to  which  they  answered,  that  having  been  kept 
prisoners  long  enough  in  the  damned  place  they  were  de- 
termined to  regain  their  liberty;  they  then  gave  three 
32 


250  Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter. 

cheers  and  hoisted  the  British  flag.  They  afterwards  went 
on  shore  and  spiked  the  guns  in  the  fort,  bringing  all  the 
arms  and  ammunition  on  board. 

They  sent  for  White,  who  had  been  expelled  from  the 
Essex  by  Captain  Porter,  for  his  attempt  to  excite  a 
mutiny  on  board  that  ship,  and  then  bending  some  of  the 
sails,  they  unmoored  the  ship  and  stood  out  to  sea.  Mr. 
Gamble  and  his  companions  suifered  much  in  their  horrid 
place  of  confinement,  for  want  of  air,  and  after  urgent  re- 
quests the  two  midshipmen  were  allowed  to  come  into  the 
cabin,  and  they  finally  persuaded  the  mutineers  to  let  the 
lieutenant  come  there  also;  where,  seated  on  a  chest,  two 
men  kept  guard  over  him  with  his  own  pistols.  The 
mutineers  amounted  to  thirteen  in  number,  including  six 
prisoners  of  war,  but  it  was  a  great  satisfaction  to  know 
that  they  were  all  Englishmen,  who  had  deserted  their  own 
flag  to  enlist  under  the  stars  and  stripes. 

In  tlie  evening,  the  ship  was  out  of  the  bay,  and  Lieut. 
Gamble  was  to  undergo  further  sufterings  and  mortifica- 
tions. One  of  bis  guards  (either  by  accident  or  design), 
fired  a  pistol,  and  the  ball  struck  the  lieutenant's  left  heel 
and  the  report  was  no  sooner  heard,  than  several  muskets 
were  pointed  at  the  prisoner  through  the  hatch,  and  would 
have  been  discharged  but  for  the  remonstrances  of  his 
guard.  At  9  p.  m.,  the  maintopsail  was  backed,  and  the 
three  ofiicers  were  informed  that  a  boat  was  in  readiness  to 
receive  them.  Lieut.  Gamble  expostulated  with  the  men  on 
their  barbarity  in  turning  them  adrift  without  arms  to 
defend  themselves  against  the  natives,  whereupon  tbey 
gave  him  two  muskets  and  some  cartridges.  On  passing 
to  the  boat,  which  Midshipmen  Feltus  and  Clapp  and  Wil- 
liam Worth  and  Richard  Sansbury  had  already  entered, 
Mr.  Gamble  found  all  the  mutineers  armed  to  the  teeth, 
showing  that,  although  under  proper  discipline  seamen 
are  brave  to  a  fault,  as  mutineers  they  are  both  cowardly 
and  cruel.  Man  difters  from  the  beast  through  the  force 
of  good  example,  and  under  the  influence  of  good  laws. 
Left  to  his  own  discretion,  he  has  only  the  instincts  of 
the  animal. 

The  unfortunate  ofiicers  and  men  in  the  boat,  were 
turned  adrift  some  miles  from  the  entrance  to  the  bay. 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         251 

Lieut.  Gamble,  suffering  intense  pain  from  his  wound, 
steered  the  boat,  while  his  four  companions  alternately 
bailed  and  pulled.  They  at  length  reached  the  Green- 
wich, and  were  informed  that  the  Englishman  Wilson 
was  at  the  bottom  of  the  mutiny,  and  that  he  had  informed 
the  natives  that  they  could  do  as  they  pleased  with  the 
Americans  who  were  now  perfectly  helpless. 

The  natives  now  commenced  to  be  very  troublesome, 
and  Mr.  Gamble,  learning  that  Wilson  was  close  at  hand. 
Midshipman  Feltus  and  a  trader  named  Burdenelle  volun- 
teered to  go  on  shore  and  capture  him;  to  which  Mr. 
Gamble  very  reluctantly  consented,  for  he  had  for  some  time 
been  convinced,  that  the  natives  were  only  watching  an 
opportunity  to  commit  some  act  of  treachery.  Feltus  and 
Burdenelle  started  on  their  mission,  well  armed,  but 
Wilson  fled  into  the  interior.  About  12  o'clock,  as  Lieut. 
Gamble  was  anxiously  watching  the  shore  from  the  deck 
of  the  Greenwich,  he  discovered  the  boat  in  the  surf,  sur- 
rounded by  natives,  while  others  were  robbing  the  encamp- 
ment of  all  they  could  lay  their  hands  on.  The  guns  of 
the  Hammond  were  fired  at  them,  when  at  the  same 
instant  two  white  men  were  seen  swimming  towards  the 
ship,  and  throwing  up  their  arms  in  token  of  distress. 
Mr.  Clapp  with  two  men  hastened  in  a  boat  to  their  rescue. 

Lieut.  Gamble  now  remained  alone  on  board  the  Green- 
wich, while  two  boats,  full  of  savages,  were  approaching 
with  evident  hostile  intent.  ^Notwithstanding  the  excru- 
ciating pain  from  his  wound  he  managed  to  hobble  from 
gun  to  gun  (which  were  loaded  with  grapeshot),  and  to  fire 
them  so  effectively,  as  not  only  to  drive  back  the  savages 
in  the  boats,  but  also  to  clear  the  beach,  enabling  Mr. 
Clapp  to  save  the  lives  of  the  two  men  who  were  struggling 
in  the  water.  These  proved  to  be  Worth  and  Coddington, 
the  latter  badly  wounded  and  nearly  exhausted  from  loss 
of  blood.  They  reported  what  had  been  anticipated  by 
Mr.  Gamble,  that  Midshipman  Feltus,  Burdenelle,  Thomas 
Gibbs,  and  John  Thomas  had  been  murdered  by  the  natives, 
and  that  a  trader  named  Ross  must  inevitably  share  the 
same  fate. 

Being  now  reduced  to  the  necessity  of  leaving  the  island 
as  soon  as  possible,  Lieut.  Gamble  commenced  fitting  the 


252  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

Sir  Andrew  Hammond  for  sea,  in  the  meantime  keeping 
up  a  fire  on  the  natives  on  shore.  Some  of  the  shots  were 
directed  at  the  fort,  where  a  number  of  natives  were  as- 
sembled, under  Wilson,  who  was  endeavoring  to  draw  the 
spikes  from  the  guns  there  mounted. 

At  sunset,  May  9,  the  Greenwich  was  set  on  fire  by 
Lieut.  Gamble's  orders,  and  that  night,  the  cables  of  the 
Sir  Andrew  Hammond  being  cut,  she  stood  out  of  the  bay, 
lighted  on  her  way  by  the  flames  of  the  burning  vessel. 
Lieut.  Gamble  now  found  himself  at  sea  in  a  leaky  ship, 
without  boats  or  anchors,  and  with  a  short  allowance  of 
provisions.  There  was  but  one  seaman  on  board,  but  he, 
with  the  assistance  of  the  other  men,  finally  got  a  sufficient 
number  of  sails  bent,  with  which  to  manage  the  ship.  Find- 
ing it  impossible  to  reach  the  continent,  in  the  condition  in 
which  he  then  was,  Lieut.  Gamble  steered  for  the  Sandwich 
islands,  in  the  hope  of  there  obtaining  a  crew  sufficient  to 
reach  Valparaiso,  for  his  present  force  only  included  himself, 
badly  wounded ;  Midshipman  Clapp,  in  good  health ;  B. 
Bispham  (marine),  in  good  health ;  P.  Coddington  (marine), 
wounded  in  the  head ;  Wm.  Worth  (seaman),  leg  frac- 
tured ;  K.  Sansbury  (ordinary  seaman),  down  with  rheu- 
matism;  J.  Burnham  (ordinary  seaman),  an  old  man  just 
cured  of  scurvy ;  J.  Pittenger  (marine),  a  cripple  ;  so  that 
only  two  persons  on  board  were  fit  for  duty,  and  only  one 
acquainted  with  the  management  of  a  ship.  After  many 
hardships  and  narrow  escapes  from  shipwreck,  the  ship  ar- 
rived off  the  S.  W.  end  of  the  island  of  Wahoo  on  the  31st 
of  May,  1814.  When  an  American,  named  Harbottle, 
came  oflT  and  offered  to  pilot  them  in ;  and  with  the  aid  of 
Capt.  Winship,  a  generous  American,  he  procured  a  crew 
of  natives  who  worked  the  ship  safely  through  the  reefs 
into  the  port,  where  Capt.  Winship  had  an  anchor  ready 
for  them. 

While  here  a  ship  came  off  the  island,  and  looked  into 
the  harbor.  Lieut.  Gamble  was  satisfied  that  this  was  the 
vessel  which  the  mutineers  had  run  oft'  with,  but  he  never 
heard  of  them  more. 

Lieut.  Gamble  received  every  attention  from  Capt.  Win- 
ship and  others,  and  left  on  the  11th  of  June,  1814,  sup- 
plied with  everything  he  could  reasonably  expect,  bound 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         253 

to  Honolulu,  a  number  of  the  natives  taking  passage  with 
him,  bearing  presents  for  King  Kamahama,  but  the  second 
day  out  the  ship  was  captured  by  H.  B.  M.  sloop  Cherub, 
Captain  Tucker,  one  of  the  vessels  that  had  captured  the 
Essex.  Noth withstanding  the  troubles  that  Lieut.  G-amble 
had  experienced,  his  greatest  sorrow  was  on  being  informed 
of  the  loss  of  the  Essex,  although  it  was  some  alleviation 
to  his  feelings  when  Capt.  Tucker  confessed  that  he  never 
saw  a  ship  make  so  desperate  a  defense,  and  that  he  "  had 
expected  to  see  her  colors  lowered  an  hour  before  Free 
Trade  and  Sailors'  Rights  came  down." 

Lieut.  Gamble  and  his  companions  were  not  particularly 
well  treated  on  board  the  Cherub,  where  they  remained 
nine  months,  until  the  ship  arrived  in  Rio  de  Janeiro, 
where,  upon  receiving  news  of  peace  being  declared,  they 
were  set  at  liberty,  and  a  little  over  a  year  after  his  cap- 
ture, Lieut.  Gamble  was  restored  to  his  family  and  friends, 
on  the  27th  of  August,  1815. 

This  gallant  officer  died  on  the  11th  of  September,  1836, 
having  attained  the  rank  of  major,  and  brevet  lieutenant 
colonel  in  the  marine  corps,  respected  by  all  who  knew 
him. 

Mr.  Gamble's  account  of  his  adventures  is  extremely 
interesting,  but  we  could  do  no  more  than  give  a  brief 
outline  of  his  narrative. 


CHAPTER  XYI. 


W  HEN  the  Babylonians  were  satisfied  of  Porter's  true 
character,  they  hauled  his  boat  from  the  water,  and  plac- 
ing it  on  wheels,  he  was  conducted  by  a  number  of  the 
towns  people  to  the  city  of  New  York.  Here  he  was  again 
the  recipient  of  a  popular  demonstration.  On  his  entry 
into  the  city  in  a  carriage,  the  horses  were  removed  from 


254  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

the  traces,  and  the  people  hauled  the  vehicle  to  the  hotel, 
amid  the  shouts  of  the  whole  city.  Capt.  Porter  remained 
but  a  short  time  in  N"ew  York  to  receive  the  plaudits  of 
his  countrymen,  but  proceeded  towards  his  home  in  Penn* 
sylvania,  meeting  on  his  way  continued  tokens  of  the 
estimation  in  which  his  services  were  held  by  the  com- 
munity. He  entered  Philadelphia  in  a  carriage,  accom- 
panied by  the  mayor,  and  escorted  by  an  immense 
cavalcade  of  citizens  of  all  ranks,  and  passed  through  streets 
gaily  decorated  with  flags,  in  his  honor.  When  the  pro- 
cession arrived  opposite  Christ's  church,  on  Second  street, 
it  was  met  by  a  large  body  of  respectable  seamen,  who  at- 
tached a  rope  to  the  carriage  (from,  which  the  people  had 
removed  the  horses),  and  proceeded  through  the  city  with 
enthusiastic  shouts.  On  arriving  at  the  Mansion  House 
hotel  the  sailors  insisted  on  carrying  the  Captain  in,  on 
their  shoulders,  and  these  demonstrations  continued  until 
he  reached  Chester,  where  his  family  was  residing. 

Had  Porter  returned  a  conqueror,  he  could  not  have 
received  more  honor,  and  this  was  gratifying  to  him,  as  it 
was  an  evidence  that  he  had  performed  his  duty  to  the 
satisfaction  of  his  countrymen. 

After  a  short  visit  to  his  family,  Capt.  Porter  reported 
in  person  to  the  secretary  of  the  navy,  in  Washington. 
Mr.  Jones  received  him  with  great  kindness,  and  accom- 
panied him  to  see  the  president,  who  invited  the  Captain 
to  dinner,  and  listened  with  great  interest  to  his  account 
of  events  in  the  Pacific. 

Captain  Porter  was  immediately  offered  the  command 
of  the  Columbia,  44,  then  building  at  Washington,  the 
name  of  which  vessel  was  subsequently  changed  to  Essex. 

The  Captain  had  several  ideas  which  he  desired  to  put 
into  execution,  one  was  the  building  and  equipping  of  a 
number  of  small,  fast  vessels,  to  be  under  his  command, 
and  with  which  he  would  burn,  sink  and  destroy  all  the 
British  merchant  vessels  he  could  come  across.  The 
government  approved  of  this  plan,  and  immediately 
ordered  to  be  purchased  or  built,  and  equipped  at  the 
Washington  navy  yard,  five  vessels  called  the  Firefly, 
Torch,  Spitfire,  Eagle  and  Lynx.     These  were  to  have 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.        255 

been  very  fast  sailers,  and  would  no  doubt  have  performed 
good  service  had  they  ever  been  finished. 

In  the  meantime,  -Captain  Porter  was  ordered  to  com- 
mand the  steamer  Fulton,  constructed  by  the  distinguished 
man  whose  name  she  bore.  This  vessel  was  intended  to 
carry  32  pounder  carronades,  and  two  100  pound  Colum- 
biads  to  fire  hot  shot.  She  was  145  feet  long,  55  feet  beam, 
and  was  to  draw  ten  feet  of  water  with  all  her  guns,  ma- 
chinery, stores  and  crew.  Her  machinery  was  protected 
against  shot,  and  the  vessel  would,  no  doubt,  have  proved 
a  powerful  auxiliary  to  the  navy,  had  she  been  put  in  com- 
mission during  the  war,  for  at  her  trial  trip  on  the  2d  of 
June,  1815,  according  to  the  chronicles  of  the  times,  "  she 
exceeded  the  most  sanguine  expectations,  having  stemmed 
the  current  in  l^orth  river  with  the  greatest  ease !  " 

Events  were  now  thickening,  and  the  enemy  were  making 
demonstrations  towards  Washington.  Rear  Admiral  Cock- 
burn  had  assembled  a  large  fleet  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Potomac,  and  another  fleet,  consisting  of  several  ships  of 
war,  and  some  thirty  transports,  appeared  off  Annapolis. 
The  government  had  collected  a  force  of  about  eleven 
thousand  men  to  resist  the  landing  of  the  enemy,  and 
Commodore  Rodgers,  Captain  Perry  and  Captain  Porter 
were  called  upon  to  assist  in  defending  the  capital. 

Captain  Porter  on  receiving  this  order  issued  the  follow- 
ing animating  summons  to  his  old  crew  : 

Free  Trade  and  Sailor's  Rights. 
To  the  crew  of  the  old  Essex  :  Sailors,  the  enemy  is  about  attempt- 
ing the  destruction  of  your  new  ship  at  Washington,  and  I  am 
ordered  there  to  defend  her.  I  shall  proceed  immediately,  and  all 
disposed  to  accompany  me  will  meet  me  at  three  o'clock  this  after- 
noon, at  the  navy  agent's  office. 
New  York,  Aug.  22,  1814. 

The  enemy  had  entered  the  Potomac,  and  on  the  19th 
of  August  had  landed  an  army,  with  the  intention  of 
marching  on  Washington.  On  the  22d  the  army  had  with- 
out opposition  reached  upper  Marlborough,  Md.,  only  about 
20  miles  from  the  capital.  At  Pig's  point,  on  the  Patuxent 
river,  a  short  distance  from  this  place.  Admiral  Cockburn 
engaged  Commodore  Barney's  flotilla,  which  was  obliged 


256  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter, 

to  retire  before  superior  numbers.  On  the  24th  the  army 
of  General  Ross  reached  Bladensburg,  having  met  with  very 
little  opposition  during  their  march.    • 

We  have  no  space  to  spare  for  a  recital  of  the  humiliat- 
ing events  on  the  field  of  Bladensburg.  Almost  the  only 
redeeming  feature,  on  the  American  side,  was  the  desperate 
struggle  of  the  seamen  and  marines,  under  the  heroic 
Barney,  to  maintain  the  honor  of  the  nation,  for  the  com- 
manding general  ordered  a  retreat  almost  at  the  first  sight 
of  the  British  uniform. 

With  the  fall  of  Commodore  Barney,  and  the  dispersion 
of  his  men,  the  road  to  Washington  was  unobstructed,  and 
the  British  reached  the  city  at  8  o'clock  that  evening, 
where  they  lost  no  time  in  destroying  the  public  buildings, 
including  the  Capitol,  Treasury,  War  Ofiice,  navy  yard. 
President's  House,  bridge  across  the  Potomac,  &c.,  &c. 
Among  the  property  destroyed  at  the  navy  yard  was  the 
new  Essex,  and  a  sloop  of  war  nearly  completed. 

The  enemy's  fleet  had  anchored  off  Alexandria,  Va.,  the 
citizens  of  which,  to  save  their  property,  had  made  a 
shameful  capitulation,  and  the  object  of  the  British  general 
having  been  attained-,  and  many  rapacious  and  barbarous 
acts  committed  by  his  soldiers,  he  made  his  arrangements 
to  get  back  to  the  ships,  before  troops  could  be  assembled 
to  cut  ofi*  his  retreat. 

In  the  meantime.  Captain  Porter  being  busy  in  collect- 
ing his  men,  was  not  able  to  reach  Washington  until  the 
British  were  evacuating  the  city.  His  plan  was  now 
to  prevent  the  return  of  their  ships  down  the  river,  or  to 
inflict  upon  them  all  the  damage  possible,  and  he  was  ac- 
cordingly instructed  by  the  secretary  of  the  navy  to  erect 
batteries  along  the  Potomac,  and  annoy  the  enemy  in  their 
retreat.  At  the  time  of  Porter's  arrival  in  Washington,  the 
British  had  loaded  fourteen  American  vessels,  at  Alexan- 
dria, with  a  large  amount  of  flour,  tobacco,  cotton,  sugar, 
cofiee  and  many  other  articles  which  an  honorable  enemy 
would  not  have  embarked.  Captain  Porter,  accompanied 
by  Captain  Creighton  of  the  navy,  mounted  horses  and 
dressed  in  citizens'  clothes  rode  to  Alexandria  to  recon- 
noitre. They  found  at  the  dock,  some  English  boats  in 
charge  of  a  midshipman,  and  were  so  disgusted  at  the  pro- 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         257 

ceeclings  that  they  made  a  dash  into  the  party.  Capt. 
Creightoii  seized  the  young  Englishman  by  the  cravat, 
and  endeavored  to  haul  him  on  to  his  horse  to  carry  him 
off,  but  the  cravat  gave  way  and  the  midshipman  fell  to 
the  ground,  while  the  two  officers  rode  away,  leaving  the 
citizens  of  Alexandria  in  great  consternation  for  fear  the 
English  would  retaliate.  The  signal  of  alarm  was  given 
and  all  the  Enirlish  in  the  nei«;hborhood  flew  to  arms, 
expecting  an  attack,  and  could  hardly  be  convinced  that 
only  two  persons  would  dare  to  do  such  a  desperate  thing. 

Captain  Porter  selected  a  place  called  the  White  House, 
on  the  west  bank  of  the  Potomac,  about  30  miles  below 
the  capital,  as  the  site  of  his  battery  to  prevent  the  return 
of  the  enemy's  vessels  down  the  river.  Capt.  Creighton, 
Lieut.  Clack  and  several  other  officers  of  the  navy  volun- 
teered their  services,  as  also  Mr.  Augustus  Monroe,  Mr. 
Ferdinand  Fairfax,  and  other  citizens  and  officers  of  the 
militia.  On  the  1st  of  September,  Porter  arrived  at  the 
White  House,  accompanied  by  the  remnant  of  the  Essex's 
crew,  and  prepared  the  ground  to  mount  three  long 
eighteen  and  two  long  twelve  pounders  which  were  on 
their  way  down.  Generals  Hungerford  and  Young  had 
received  orders  to  cooperate  with  him,  and  to  make 
such  a  disposition  of  their  forces  as  would  enable  him  to 
mount  his  cannon,  without  obstruction,  by  protecting  him 
in  the  rear  in  case  the  enemy  attempted  to  land.  Posi- 
tions were  also  allotted  to  the  militar}^  w4ien  the  enemy's 
ships  should  attempt  to  pass  down,  as  it  was  believed  that 
concealed  by  the  thick  woods  on  the  high  bank,  they 
would  be  enabled  to  clear  the  enemy's  decks  with  their 
musketry,  and  divert  their  fire  from  the  batteries. 

Capt.  Porter  had  no  sooner  reached  the  ground  selected 
for  the  battery,  than  an  18  gun  brig  was  seen  coming  up 
the  river.  General  Hungerford  and  his  men  were  sta- 
tioned in  the  woods,  and  a  couple  of  small  four  pounders 
arriving  at  that  instant,  the  Captain  planted  them  on  the 
edge  of  the  bank  and  opened  tire  on  the  British  vessel. 
Having  a  fine  breeze,  the  brig  was  enabled  to  get  by,  but 
only  fired  one  broadside  as  she  passed  the  Ime  of  field  pieces 
and  musketry.  The  militia  followed  the  brig  up  the  bank, 
and  greatly  annoyed  the  enemy  by  their  fire.  In  this  affair 
S3 


258  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

but  one  American  was  wounded,  the  sailors  and  soldiers 
behaved  well,  and  if  any  mistakes  or  confusion  occurred 
it  was  from  an  excess  of  zeal  and  desire  to  injure  the  British. 

That  same  evening  two  eighteen  pounders  arrived,  and 
next  morning  a  British  bomb  vessel  and  two  barges  (one 
carrying  a  long  thirty-two  pounder  the  other  a  mortar), 
commenced  operations  against  the  American  position,  the 
first  throwing  shells  in  front  out  of  the  reach  of  shot,  the 
others  flanking  the  battery  on  the  right.  The  firing  lasted 
all  day  without  intermission,  and  though  shells  fell  near 
and.  burst  over  the  battery,  they  had  no  other  effect  than 
to  accustom  the  militia  to  the  danger. 

In  the  afternoon,  Capt.  Porter  removed  one  of  the  eight- 
een pounders  to  a  more  advanced  position,  about  a  mile 
distant,  and  commenced  a  fire  on  the  bomb  vessel,  which 
became  so  effective  as  to  draw  on  him  the  fire  of  all  the 
enemy's  vessels,  including  an  18  gun  brig  and  a  schooner 
which  had  now  dropped  down  the  river. 

On  the  3d  of  September,  the  enemy  were  reinforced  by 
another  bomb  vessel  and  a  sloop  of  war  fitted  as  a  rocket 
ship.  The  latter  anchoring  near  the  battery  such  a  fire 
was  opened  on  her  that  she  was  forced  to  change  her  posi- 
tion. All  this  day  and  the  succeeding  night,  the  enemy 
kept  up  a  brisk  fire  of  shot,  shell  and  rockets  without  affect- 
ing the  Americans  in  the  least ;  and  the  work  of  increasing 
and  improving  the  batteries  continued. 

Five  light  field  pieces  were  added  on  the  3d,  and  the 
Captain  had  every  hope  of  receiving  two  long  thirty-two 
pounders  from  Washington.  He  built  a  furnace  for  heat- 
ing shot,  and  time  alone  was  required  to  make  his  position 
a  very  formidable  one.  On  the  4th  and  5th,  the  enemy 
kept  up  an  incessant  fire  day  and  night,  and  one  night  at- 
tempted to  land  and  spike  the  guns,  but  were  driven  off'. 
A  twelve  pounder  and  two  sixes  were  now  moved  to  an 
advanced  position,  where  they  could  reach  the  rocket  ship, 
which  vessel  was  much  cut  up,  while  the  whole  British 
force  opened  fire  on  the  new  position  without  driving  the 
sailors  from  their  guns.  They  fought  till  their  ammunition 
was  exhausted,  and  then  coolly  retired  (with  their  pieces) 
amid  a  shower  of  shot  from  the  enemy. 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         259 

Firing  now  ceased,  as  if  bj  mutual  consent,  and  some 
32  pounders  arriving,  the  Americans  made  great  exertions 
to  get  them  mounted,  but  carriages  could  not  be  furnished, 
much  to  their  regret,  asin  the  evening  two  frigates  anchored 
above,  making  the  entire  force  of  the  enemy,  two  frigates 
each  of  48  guns,  three  bomb  ships  each  of  10  guns,  one 
sloop  of  war  26  guns,  one  brig  18  guns,  one  schooner  one 
gun,  and  two  barges  each  carrying  one  gun,  a  total  of 
one  hundred  and  seventy  three  guns.  The  guns  mounted 
in  the  battery,  were  three  18  pounders,  two  12  pounders, 
six  9  pounders  and  two  4  pounders. 

On  the  morning  of  the  6th,  the  enemy  showing  a  disposi- 
tion to  move,  Captain  Porter  advised  General  Hungerford 
of  their  intentions  and  prepared  to  meet  them.  At  Meri- 
dian, the  frigates  stood  down  for  the  battery  with  a  fair 
wind  and  tide,  the  other  vessels,  together  with  the  prizes 
loaded  with  plunder  from  Alexandria,  following  in  succes- 
sion. As  the  enemy  approached,  a  well  directed  fire  of 
hot  and  cold  shot  from  the  batteries  was  directed  against 
them,  while  the  ships  poured  in  their  broadsides,  which  our 
men  endured  with  great  firmness.  The  militia  failed  to 
open  fire  (as  had  been  expected)  on  the  ships  to  clear  their 
decks,  and  the  result  was  that  the  whole  fire  of  the  enemy 
was  concentrated  on  the  battery,  the  two  frigates  coming 
to  anchor  while  the  other  vessels  passed  by.  The  Ameri- 
cans in  the  battery  now  retired  behind  an  adjacent  hill,  in 
readiness  to  charge  the  enemy  in  case  he  should  attempt 
to  land,  but  the  latter  contented  himself  by  keeping  up  a 
tremendous  fire  with  guns,  bombs  and  rockets,  owing  to 
which  General  Hungerford  found  it  impossible  to  change 
bis  position,  without  losing  a  large  number  of  his  men. 

The  English  effected  their  object  in  passing  down  the 
river,  but  had  there  been  sufficient  time  to  have  got  the 
heavy  guns  into  position,  they  would  no  doubt  have  met 
with  serious  disaster.  As  it  was,  they  were  much  cut  up, 
while  the  Americans'  loss  did  not  exceed  eleven  killed  and 
nineteen  wounded. 

In  his  official  report  of  these  transactions,  Captain  Por- 
ter spoke  in  high  terms  of  the  gallant  conduct  of  the  United 
States  and  Virginia  artillery.  Had  they  possessed  as  good 
artillery  in  1814,  as  they  did  at  the  same  place  in  1862,  on 


260  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

Jill  oeL'usioii  wli'u'li  the  writc^r  well  remembers,  the  British 
would  have  hticl  a  much  hotter  time  in  getting  down  the 
river. 

The  remnant  of  the  Essex's  crew  had  received,  before 
this,  a  baptism  of  fire  to  which  all  others  w^ould  seem 
feeble,  and  they  stood  to  their  guns  like  veterans  as  they 
were.  Lieut.  Barnewell  received  on  this  occasion  his  third 
wound,  and  Dr.  Ploffman,  surgeon  of  the  Essex,  w^as  shot 
in  the  head.  The  detachment  of  marines,  under  Capt. 
Grayson,  forming  part  of  the  naval  force  that  had  so  much 
distinguished  itself  under  Commodore  Barney  at  Bladens- 
burg,  were  anxious  to  do  their  part  on  this  occasion  to 
wnpe  out  the  odium  of  that  defeat,  and  two  of  them  were 
killed  in  their  courageous  but  unsuccessful  endeavor  to 
stop  the  progress  of  the  enemy. 

After  the  other  vessels  had  passed  the  battery,  the  two 
frigates  got  under  way  and  proceeded  down  to  Indian  Head 
where  Captain  Perry,  of  the  navy,  had  a  battery  of  light 
guns  atid  an  eighteen  pounder,  but  he  could  make  no  im- 
pression on  them,  and  after  pouring  their  broadsides  into 
him  until  after  sunset,  they  proceeded  on  their  way  with 
their  plunder. 

It  seems  strange  to  us  at  this  day,  w^ho  have  had  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  of  soldiers  on  the  Potomac  at  onetime, 
that  a  handful  of  British  soldiers  and  a  few  British  ships 
should  ascend  the  river  and  burn  the  Capitol.  Yet  such 
was  the  case,  and  the  operation  may  be  repeated  if  more 
attention  is  not  paid  to  the  urgent  appeals  of  those  who 
will  have  to  fight  the  battles  of  the  country,  when  war  does 
come  upon  us.  We  are,  comparatively,  not  better  pre- 
pared for  war  than  w^e  were  in  1814.  The  forts  that  we 
have  built  since  then,  would  make  less  impression  on  the 
iron  clads  of  to-day,  than  did  the  18  pounders  of  Porter  at 
the  White  House,  on  the  marauding  squadron  of  sixty 
years  ago. 

The  marks  of  the  British  invasion  have  long  since  been 
eradicted,  a  magnificent  Capitol  has  arisen  from  the  ashes 
of  the  old,  and  all  that  suffered  from  the  ruthless  hands  of 
the  enemy  has  given  place  to  something  more  grand  and 
beautiful.  One  little  marble  monument  alone  bears  wit- 
ness to  the  work  of  the  destroyer.     This  was  made  iu  Rome, 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         261 

from  a  design  by  Captain  Porter,  and  was  erected,  under 
his  supervision,  in  tlie  Washington  navy  yard,  to  the 
memory  of  those  gallant  officers,  Caldwell,  Somers,  Decatur, 
Israel,  and  Wadsworth,  who  fell  at  Tripoli.  Later,  the 
Captain  had  inscribed  upon  this  cenotaph  "  Mutilated 
by  Britons  1814." 

It  seems  almost  incredible  to  us,  that  a  military  force 
belonging  to  the  most  enlightened  and  professedly  phi- 
lanthropic nation  in  the  world,  commanded  by  distinguished 
officers,  and  without  any  extraordinary  motive  for  venge- 
ance, should  have  emulated  the  exploits  of  savages,  and 
carried  fire  and  sword  into  the  capital  city  of  their  enemy, 
involving  public  buildings,  monuments  of  art  and  litera- 
ture, government  records,  and  private  property,  in  common 
ruin.  It  is  a  satisfaction  to  know,  that  when  the  vandals 
fled  from  the  scene  of  their  barbarism,  our  gallant  tars 
gave  them  a  parting  salute  to  remind  them  of  their  trip  to 
Washington. 

The  particular  misfortune  to  Captain  Porter  in  all  this 
business,  was  the  destruction  of  the  new  Essex,  which  was 
rapidly  approaching  completion,  when  burned  by  the 
enemy  at  the  Washington  navy  yard,  and  as  there  was  no 
ship  that  he  could  command  at  the  moment,  he  was  forced 
to  wait  patiently  for  employment. 

We  have  before  alluded  to  Captain  Porter's  plan  for 
fitting  out  a  flying  squadron,  to  cruise  in  the  British  chan- 
nel for  the  destruction  of  the  enemy's  commerce.  His 
scheme  was  warmly  approved  by  the  government,  and 
he  was  now  busily  engaged  in  getting  the  Rve  ves- 
sels designed  for  this  service  ready  for  sea,  and  in  col- 
lecting around  him  the  choice  spirits  w^ho  were  to  sail 
under  his  command,  including  many  of  the  old  officers 
and  men  of  the  Essex.  Fortunately  peace  intervened,  and 
the  project  of  illuminating  the  British  channel  was  not 
carried  out ;  for  whatever  inhumanities  Great  Britain  may 
have  perpetrated  towards  us,  it  is  just  as  well  that  we  had 
no  opportunity  to  indulge  in  acts  of  retaliation.  Such  a 
system  was  one  that  we  should  have  pursued  only,  when 
at  our  last  gasp,  and  was  unnecessary  when  we  were 
almost  everywhere  victorious  on  land  and  sea. 

Perry  also  was  to  have  had  command  of  a  flying  squadron, 


262  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

designed  for  a  similar  service,  and  it  may  be  imagined 
how  well  these  energetic  men  would  have  performed  their 
duties,  and  helped  to  convince  the  British  of  the  necessity 
of  peace.  These  vessels  were  ultimately  devoted  to  the 
more  beneficent  purpose  of  teaching  the  dey  of  Algiers 
to  respect  the  rights  of  American  commerce. 

Immediately  after  peace  was  declared  with  Great 
Britain,  the  United  States  government  fitted  out  two 
squadrons,  one  under  Decatur,  and  the  other  under  Bain- 
bridge,  who  had  supreme  command  of  the  entire  force. 
The  five  vessels,  late  of  Porter's  squadron,  were  under 
Decatur's  command,  and  were  present  when  he  taught  the 
despot  of  Algiers  to  respect  the  rights  of  civilization,  by  a 
treaty  which  guarantied  our  exemption  from  any  further 
tribute  to  barbarians. 

Although  our  navy  had  succeeded  so  well  in  the  war  of 
1812,  it  was  evident  at  the  close,  that  a  more  thorough 
organization  was  required;  and,  after  wasting  much  dis- 
cussion on  a  very  plain  subject,  congress,  on  the  7th  of 
February,  1815,  established  aboard  of  naval  commissioners, 
whose  duty  it  was,  under  the  superintendence  of  the  secre- 
tary of  the  navy,  to  look  after  all  supplies  for  the  navy,  the 
construction,  armament,  and  equipment  of  ships,  manage- 
ment of  navy  yards,  and  in  fact  everything  pertaining  to 
naval  affairs.  Of  this  important  board.  Commodore  John 
Eodgers  was  appointed  president.  Captains  Hull  and  Por- 
ter members,  and  James  K.  Paulding  of  New  York  (after- 
wards secretary  of  the  navy),  was  appointed  secretary  of  the 
board.  When  we  look  back  to  the  system  by  which  our 
naval  affairs  were  administered,  previous  to  the  organiza- 
tion of  this  board,  we  can  only  ascribe  our  success,  upon 
the  ocean,  to  the  talents  of  our  commanding  ofiicers  ;  and 
it  is  certain,  that  the  service  has  never  since  embraced  an 
equal  number  of  men  who  possessed,  in  so  eminent  a 
degree,  the  qualifications  of  naval  heroes. 

The  board  was  no  sooner  established,  than  discussion 
was  rife  as  to  its  powers,  and  the  papers  of  the  day  were 
full  of  speculations  as  to  whether  the  commissioners  were 
instruments  in  the  hands  of  the  head  of  the  department, 
without  power  except  such  as  he  might  choose  to  delegate 
to  them  ;  or,  whether  their  functions  were  ministerial,  leav- 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         263 

ingto  the  secretary  of  the  navy  the  duties  of  political  and 
financial  head  of  affairs.  It  could  not,  certainly,  have  been 
the  intention  of  congress  to  select  three  of  the  most  con- 
spicuous officers  of  the  late  war,  to  play  the  part  of  mere 
automatons,  and  it  was  therefore  held,  by  those  best  in- 
formed on  the  subject,  that  the  secretary  of  the  navy  had 
no  more  authority  over  the  commissioners,  than  the  com- 
missioners had  over  him,  except  to  see  that  they  did  not 
go  outside  the  duties  required  of  them  by  the  act  of  con- 
gress. They  were,  in  fact,  empowered  to  discharge  all  the 
ministerial  duties  of  the  department,  under  the  superin- 
tendence of  the  secretary  of  the  navy  (the  organ  of  the  presi- 
dent) ;  to  draw  up  regulations  for  the  navy,  subject  to  the 
approval  of  the  president,  and  to  furnish  such  information 
for  congress  as  the  secretary  might  require  ;  the  control  and 
and  direction  of  the  naval  forces  in  commission  being  left  at 
the  discretion  of  the  secretary.  Itwas  with  this  understand- 
ing that  the  board  organized  and  commenced  its  labors. 
The  navy  being  small,  the  machinery  of  the  board  was 
ample  for  its  requirements,  and  a  construction  of  the  law 
was  adopted,  tending  to  overcome  the  supposed  difficulties, 
leaving  in  the  hands  of  the  board  the  executive  authority, 
and  in  those  of  the  secretary  of  the  navy  the  power  which 
the  importance  of  his  office  required  him  to  hold.  Mr. 
Crowninshield,  of.  Massachusetts,  then  held  the  office  of 
secretary  of  the  navy,  and  seems  to  have  labored  har- 
moniously with  the  board,  which  soon  prepared  a  system 
of  regulations  by  which  every  person  in  the  naval  service 
was  held  to  a  strict  accountability  for  his  acts.  It  was 
fortunate  for  the  service,  that  the  secretary  of  the  navy 
was  disposed  to  cooperate  with  the  commissioners,  and 
instead  of  jealously  excluding  them  from  a  knowledge  of 
the  affairs  of  his  office,  he  imparted  to  them  freely  the 
necessary  information  to  enable  them  to  carry  out  promptly 
the  views  of  the  executive. 

About  this  time,  there  was  a  disposition  on  the  part  of  con- 
gress, to  lay  up  most  of  the  vessels  of  the  navy,  drop  from 
the  service  most  of  the  officers,  and  place  the  remainder 
on  half  pay,  apparently  forgetting  the  glorious  record  of 
the  navy  in  the  late  war,  and  how  much  it  had  contributed 
towards  forcing  from  Great  Britain  an  honorable  peace. 


264  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

Bat  the  influence  of  the  navy  commissioners,  aided  by 
judicious  friends,  prevented  the  threatened  dismember- 
ment of  the  service. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  year  1815,  Captain  Porter  pub- 
lished, at  Philadelphia,  in  two  volumes  8vo,  a  Journal  of 
his  Cruise  to  the  Pacific.  In  his  dedication  of  the  book  to 
the  "  Citizens  of  the  United  States, "  Captain  Porter  depre- 
cates criticism,  but  his  journal  was  soon  exposed  to  the 
attacks  of  the  tory  press  of  Great  Britain.  The  most  ela- 
borate onslaught  on  it.  Was  made  in  an  article  written  by 
the  celebrated  William  Gifford,  for  the  Quarterly/  Beview, 
in  which  a  comparison  is  made  between  the  achievements 
of  Captain  Porter  and  Blackbeard,  and  other  notorious 
pirates,  greatly  to  the  advantage  of  the  latter.  To  this 
able  and  bitter  attack  of  a  stipendiary  of  the  British  govern- 
ment, Captain  Porter  thought  it  necessary  to  publish  a 
reply,  which  was  embodied  in  the  preface  to  the  second 
edition  of  the  Journal,  published  in  1822,  of  which  the  title 
is  as  follows :  '*  Journal  of  a  Cruise  made  to  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  by  Captain  David  Porter,  in  the  United  States  Fri- 
gate Essex,  in  the  years  1812,  1813,  and  1814.  Second 
Edition.  To  which  is  now  added  the  transactions  at  Val- 
paraiso, from  the  period  of  the  author's  arrival,  until  the 
capture  of  the  Essex ;  the  fate  of  the  party  left  at  Madison's 
Island  under  Lieut,  (now  Major)  Gamble ;  and  an  Intro- 
duction in  which  the  charges  contained  in  the  Quarterly 
Review,  of  the  first  edition  of  his  Journal,  are  examined, 
and  the  ignorance,  prejudice  and  misrepresentations  of  the 
reviewer  exposed.  Embellished  with  engravings,  in  two 
volumes.     New  York,  Wiley  and  Halsted  1822." 

The  book  had  an  extensive  circulation,  and  is  written  in 
the  simple  style  of  the  old  navigators,  with  no  attempt  at 
literary  embellishment. 

The  bitter  attack  of  Gifi:brd,  drew  from  the  eccentric 
William  Cobbett,  a  characteristic  letter  to  Captain  Porter, 
which  was  published  in  Cobbetfs  Register  of  April  12, 1816. 
Cobbett  in  his  usual  trenchant  style  demolishes  the  hire- 
ling reviewer,  and  shows  conclusively  what  motives  actuated 
his  base  attack  on  Capt.  Porter. 

Captain  Hull  left  the  board  of  commissioners,  after  a 
few  months  service,  and  Decatur,  who  had  returned  from 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         265 

Algiers  covered  with  fresh  laurels,  was "  appointed  in  his 
place.  Considerable  prize  money  had  fallen  to  the  lot  of 
Roclgers,  Decatur  and  Porter,  and  they  determined  to 
build  residences  in  the  District  of  Columbia.  Capt.  Por- 
ter accordingly  purchased  a  farm  of  157  acres  on  the 
heights,  about  one  mile  due  north  of  the  president's  house, 
which  being  directly  on  the  meridian  of  Washington,  he 
called  Meridian  Hill.  Here  he  erected  a  large  and  elegant 
mansion  overlooking  the  city  of  Washington  and  the  broad 
Potomac.  The  chain  of  hills,  on  which  the  house  was  built, 
forms  an  amphitheatre  around  the  city,  and  were,  at  the 
time,  covered  with  a  fine  growth  of  forest,  the  whole  form- 
ing an  extensive  landscape  which,  to  this  day,  has  lost  little 
of  its  beauty.  Here  was  to  be  found  everything  that  money 
could  procure,  to  make  the  time  pass  pleasantly  after  the 
life  of  toil  and  warfare  through  which  Captain  Porter  had 
passed ;  and  here  he  delighted  to  dispense  that  hospitality, 
which  made  his  house  a  place  of  reunion  for  some  of  the 
wisest  and  greatest  in  the  land. 

Decatur  built  an  equally  fine  establishment  on  the 
corner  of  H.  street  and  Lafayette  square,  which  is  still 
standing;  and  here  these  distinguished  officers,  daily  ex- 
tending their  influence  with  congress  and  the  executive, 
were  enabled  to  prevent  the  service  from  being  afibcted 
by  any  lack  of  congressional  information,  and  kept  it  up 
to  high  water  mark  by  the  arguments  they  could  supply 
to  the  secretary  in  making  his  annual  report.  They  were 
always  mindful  of  the  adage,  that  "the  way  to  a  man's 
heart  is  through  his  stomach,"  and  although  their  enter- 
tainments materially  affected  their  financial  resources,  yet 
they  were  the  means  of  bringing  the  naval  officers  in  con- 
tact with  the  men  who  held  the  public  purse  strings,  and 
who  were  not  always  inclined  to  be  liberal  where  the  navy 
was  concerned. 

A  regular  plan  of  increase  was  established  by  the 
acts  of  1819,  and  1820,  contemplating  a  force  of  twelve 
line-of-battle  ships,  fourteen  frigates  of  the  first,  and  three 
of  the  second  class,  six  sloops  of  war,  and  as  many 
smaller  vessels  as  circumstances  might  require.  These 
enactments  were  modified  from  time  to  time,  so  as  to  in- 
crease the  number  of  sloops  of  war,  surveying  vessels,  etc. 
34 


266 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 


As  it  may  be  interesting  to  see  a  list  of  vessels  compris- 
ing our  navy,  at  the  end  of  the  war  with  Great  Britain, 
one  is  here  inserted.  The  vessels  were  not  all  finished  at 
the  time  peace  was  declared,  but  soon  would  have  been, 
and  there  is  no  doubt,  that  the  construction  of  these  large 
ships  had  much  to  do,  in  conjunction  with  our  victories, 
in  bringing  the  enemy  to  terms. 

List  of  Vessels  in  the  U.  S.  Navy  at  the  Close  of  the  War  with 


Great  Britain,  1815. 

Guns. 

Guns 

Independence, 

74 

Nonsuch, 

]4 

Washington, 

74 

Ticonderoga, 

17 

Franklin, 

74 

Lady  Provost  (captured), 

10 

New  Orleans, 

.      74 

Prometheus, 

9 

Chippewa, 

74 

Tom  Bowline, 

9 

Guerierre, 

44 

Aligator, 

9 

United  States, 

44 

Roanoke, 

7 

Constitution, 

44 

Hunter  (captured), 

10 

Java, 

44 

Firebrand, 

7 

Plattsburgh, 

44 

Surprise, 

7 

Superior, 

44 

Hornet, 

5 

Constellation, 

36 

Ghent, 

5 

Congress, 

36 

Caledonia  (captured), 

3 

Macedonian  (captured),        36 

Lynx, 

5 

Mohawk, 

32 

Despatch, 

3 

Confiance, 

32 

Asp, 

3 

Cyane, 

28 

Porcupine, 

3 

Saratoga, 

24 

Gov.  Tompkins, 

2 

John  Adams, 

24 

Conquest, 

8 

Genl.  Pike, 

24 

Ranger, 

1 

Madison, 

20 

Lady  of  the  Lake, 

3 

Alert, 

20 

Ontario, 

1 

Hornet, 

18 

Raven, 

Wasp, 

18 

Asp, 

Peacock, 

18 

Pert, 

3 

Ontario, 

18 

Fair  American, 

4 

Erie, 

18 

Ameha, 

1 

Louisiana, 

18 

Finch  (captured), 

11 

Niagara, 

18 

Chubb  (captured), 

11 

Detroit  (captured), 

18 

Preble, 

7 

Lawrence, 

18 

Montgomery, 

6 

Eagle, 

18 

Camel, 

5 

JeflFerson, 

18 

Buffalo, 

5 

Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         267 


Guns. 

Gnus. 

Jones, 

18 

Tickler, 

Epervier  (captured), 

18 

President, 

12 

Chippewa, 

16 

Galley  Centipede, 

2 

Boxer, 

16 

Nettle, 

2 

Saranac, 

16 

Viper, 

2 

Linnet  (captured). 

16 

Boxer, 

2 

Troup, 

16 

Allen, 

2 

Sylph, 

16 

Burrows, 

2 

Queen  Charlotte  (captured),  16 

Alwyn, 

1 

Enterprise, 

16 

Ballard, 

1 

Oneida, 

14 

Ludlow, 

1 

Flambeau, 

12 

Wilmer, 

1 

Firefly, 

12 

Ketches  Spitfire, 

Spark, 

12 

"      Vesuvius. 

Spitfire, 

11 

"      Vengeance. 

Torch, 

10 

Captain  Porter's  restless  nature  would  not  permit  him 
to  sit  quietly  in  an  office  attending  to  ministerial  affairs. 
Before  he  had  been  a  year  on  the  board  of  commissioners 
he  began  to  weary  of  the  work,  and  we  find  him  in  1816, 
submitting  a  plan  to  the  president  for  the  survey  of  the 
west  coast  of  Mexico,  the  north-west  coast  of  America, 
and  for  the  exploration  of  the  vast  country  between  the 
Mississippi  river  and  the  I^orth  Pacific.  His  proposition 
was  favorably  considered,  and  two  vessels  were  even  fitted 
out  for  him,  but  for  some  unexplained  reason  the  expedi-. 
tion  never  sailed. 

It  was  the  policy  of  the  board  of  navy  commissioners,  to 
have  large  vessels  on  the  stocks  as  nearly  completed  as  pos- 
sible, with  guns,  gun  carriages,  masts,  etc.,  ready  to  be 
put  into  them  at  short  notice,  and  to  collect  at  the  various 
naval  stations,  large  quantities  of  timber,  copper,  iron, 
and  naval  stores.  In  fact,  it  is  mainly  owing  to  the 
foresight  of  the  board  of  navy  commissioners,  that  we 
were  enabled  to  procure  proper  ship  timber  when  the 
south  was  closed  against  us.  Under  their  administration 
our  ships  were  the  admiration  of  the  world,  and  our  im- 
provements in  ordnance  set  Europe  to  thinking.  The 
British  government  sent  a  clever  naval  officer,  on  a  special 
mission  to  this  country,  to  quietly  examine  our  system, 
and  in  his  report  he  declared  "  the  organization  of  the 


268  Memoir  of  Commodore  Dayid  Porter. 

American  naval  department,  either  for  administrative 
duties  or  for  practical  w^ork  to  be  the  best  system  extant. 
Their  ships  are  the  best  built,  and  their  timber  is  unsur- 
passed. Their  frigates  are  competent  to  cope  with  ships 
of  the  line,  and  their  ships  of  the  line  with  three  deckers, 
and  the  whole  administration  of  the  navy  is  conducted  with 
comparatively  little  expense." 

When  the  navy  commissioners  commenced  their  labors, 
the  government  was  in  possession  of  several  places  styled 
navy  yards,  which  were  in  fact  destitute  of  most  of  the 
necessary  appliances  for  building  and  equipping  ships, 
they  were  as  follows  : 

Acres.  Orip^inal  cost. 

ITavy  Yard  at  Gosport,  Ya.,  16  $12,000 

u      u  Washington,  D.C.,  37  4000 

"         "      *'  Philadelphia,  Pa.,   11  37,060 

"      "  Brooklyn,  K  Y.,     40  40,000 

"         "      "  Charlestown,Mas8.,34  3,900 

"         "      "  Portsmouth,  K  H.,  58  5,000 

These  yards  were  purchased  under  the  act  of  Feb.  25, 
1799,  which  authorized  the  construction  of  six  74  gun 
ships.  There  was  no  special  appropriation  for  their  pur- 
chase, but  it  was  a  case  of  necessity,  for  in  building  ships  of 
war  in  private  yards,  great  losses  were  sustained,  for  want 
of  room  to  make  a  proper  disposition  of  the  timber,  and 
from  various  other  causes.  On  these  lands,  purchased  by 
government,  have  been  built  the  docks,  ship  houses,  rope 
walks,  founderies,  shops,  storehouses  and  all  the  other 
necessary  constituents  of  a  navy  yard.  For  many  years 
there  was  not  a  single  dock,  in  any  of  our  navy  yards,  and 
the  first  appliance  for  taking  a  ship  out  of  water  owned 
by  our  government,  was  invented  by  Commodore  John 
Podgers.  This  was  erected  at  the  Washington  yard,  in 
1821,  at  an  expense  of  $45,000,  and  consisted  of  an  inclined 
plane  with  various  fixtures,  an  apparatus  for  hauling  up 
ships  and  a  house  to  preserve  them  from  the  weather.  It 
was  owing  to  the  commissioners  that  dry  docks  were  at 
last  constructed,  and  a  thousand  other  things  were  done, 
which  saved  millions  to  the  government,  while  preventing 
the  navy  from  lapsing  into  inefficiency,  during  a  period  of 
profound  peace. 


Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter.         269 

About  the  year  1822,  Captain  Porter  received  a  serious 
injury.  An  inventor  was  showing  a  patent  gun  lock  in 
the  navy  commissioners'  office,  when  a  chamber  exploded, 
and  one  of  the  fragments  striking  the  Captain's  hand,  it 
was  severely  fractured.  This  laid  him  up  for  some  time, 
and  he  never  recovered  the  entire  use  of  the  injured  mem- 
ber. 

During  his  residence  at  Meridian  Hill,  Captain  Porter 
became  much  interested  in  farming.  His  friend,  Mr.  John 
Skinner,  was  the  editor  of  an  agricultural  paper,  and  the 
various  hints  in  regard  to  the  proper  cultivation  of  the  soil, 
the  Captain  endeavored  to  put  in  practice  on  his  gravelly 
land,  where  crops  did  not  seem  to  thrive.  In  truth,  though 
an  excellent  sailor,  he  was  no  judge  of  land  for  farming  pur- 
poses, though  if  he  had  suspected  the  existence  of  that  de- 
posit of  white  sand  under  his  estate,  which  since  the 
establishnient  of  the  board  of  public  works  has  been  made 
manifest,  he  might  have  made  the  place  pay  good  dividends. 
James  K.  Paulding,  an  intimate  friend  of  Captain  Porter,  in 
his  amusing  book,  John  Bull  in  America,  good  naturedly 
satirizes  the  nautical  hero's  system  of  farming. 

All  sailors  imagine  themselves  competent  to  manage  a 
farm,  and  are  never  satisfied  until  they  own  one.  The 
historic  Pennsylvania  Dutchman  may  not  have  under- 
stood the  theory  of  farming,  but  in  practice  he  was  certainly 
successful,  for  what  vegetables  he  could  not  sell,  he  gave 
to  the  pigs,  and  what  the  pigs  wouldn't  eat  he  ate  himself. 
The  Captain  on  the  other  hand,  was  so  proud  of  his  farming, 
that  he  supplied  his  acquaintances  with  the  best  of  vegeta- 
bles for  nothing.  He  had  a  kitchen  garden  of  ^yq  acres, 
and  had  to  buy  vegetables  for  winter ;  he  had  a  hundred 
acres  in  corn,  oats,  wheat,  &c.,  and  was  obliged  to  pur- 
chase grain  for  his  stock.  He  imported  English  bulls,  at 
twelve  hundred  dollars  apiece,  people  would  not  patronize 
them.  He  had  the  finest  piggery  in  the  country,  but  alas, 
it  did  not  pay.  Thousands  of  cart  loads  of  manure  were 
hauled  upon  the  farm,  only  to  be  washed  away  by  the 
spring  rains  ;  the  place  was  in  beautiful  order,  highly  satis- 
factory to  the  casual  observer,  but  it  yielded  absolutely 
nothing. 

The  Captain  then  introduced  an  English  farmer  on  the 


270  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

premises,  established  him  with  his  family  in  a  beautiful 
little  farm  house,  and  supplied  him  with  half  a  dozen 
assistants.  At  the  end  of  the  year,  the  crops  realized  just 
about  enough  to  pay  the  expenses  of  this  party,  without 
any  overplus  in  the  way  of  profit.  On  the  whole,  Captain 
Porter  found  that  he  had  been  more  successful  in  plough- 
ing the  sea  than  he  was  ever  likely  to  be  in  ploughing  terra 
Jirma.  Still  his  farming  was  a  great  source  of  recreation 
to  him,  and  not  wishing  to  let  it  run  down  he  formed,  in 
company  with  a  few  friends,  a  joint  stock  company  for  the 
purpose  of  running  a  horse  boat  between  Washington  and 
Alexandria.  This  scheme  promised  to  be  a  great  success, 
as  the  only  communication  between  the  two  cities  was  by 
a  lumbering  old  stage  coach,  but  the  speculation  ultimately 
proved  a  bad  one.  The  new  mode  of  conveyance  was 
slower  than  the  old  coach,  and  the  boat  frequently  gave 
out  on  the  journey ;  the  Captain  gave  free  tickets  to  all 
his  friends,  and  after  awhile  the  ferry  boat  was  withdrawn 
from  the  route  and  used  for  transporting  passengers  from 
Georgetown  across  the  river,  to  Analostan  island. 

In  looking  over  the  Captain's  papers,  it  is  curious  to  see 
how  little  he  thought  of  his  own  personal  advantage  in 
this  and  in  other  enterprises,  and  how  many  dead  heads 
were  included  with  the  traveling  public  in  this  boat  enter- 
prise. These  incidents  are  mentioned  to  show  the  pecu- 
liarly restless  disposition  of  the  man,  who  labored  so  hard 
without  apparently  having  any  pecuniary  object.  He  re- 
mained a  member  of  the  board  of  navy  commissioners, 
until  the  31st  December,  1822,  when  he  sought  active 
service  afloat. 

During  the  conflict  between  Spain  and  her  South 
American  colonies,  which  finally  resulted  in  the  independ- 
ence of  the  latter,  a  system  of  piracy  grew  up  which  was 
very  detrimental  to  the  commerce  of  the  United  States. 
The  Spanish  cruisers  and  privateers,  employed  in  blockad- 
ing the  ports  of  the  revolutionary  states,  were  constantlyii 
capturing  our  merchant  vessels,  under  the  pretense  that 
they  had  violated  what  the  United  States  government  con- 
sidered merely  a  paper  blockade  ;  and  so  many  complica- 
tions had  arisen,  that  it  was  determined  to  dispatch  a 
squadron  to  the  West  Indies  to  protect  American  interests. 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         271 

Besides  tlie  above  mentioned  source  of  trouble,  the  way 
in  which  the  war  had  been  carried  on,  by  a  system  of  legal- 
ized piracy,  had  produced  a  very  low  state  of  morals  among 
the  Spanish  seamen,  which,  in  the  absence  of  suflS-cient 
power  to  repress  it,  broke  out  into  piracy  of  the  worst 
kind,  filling  the  West  Indian  annals  with  accounts  of 
horrors,  that  seem  almost  incredible  in  these  days.  The 
coasts  of  Cuba,  Porto  Pico,  St.  Domingo  and  the  Spanish 
main,  were  the  resorts  of  merciless  freebooters  who  plun- 
dered and  burned  vessels  with  impunity,  and  frequently 
murdered  their  passengers  and  crews,  after  inflicting  upon 
them  the  most  shocking  brutalities.  Families  bound  to 
the  West  Indies,  in  merchant  vessels,  disappeared  from 
the  face  of  the  earth,  and  often  the  only  clue  to  the  fate  of 
passengers  and  crew,  would  be  the  charred  hull  of  their 
vessel  drifting  about  the  gulf  of  Mexico. 

At  length,  the  numerous  tales  of  horror  aroused  the  in- 
dignation of  the  American  people,  and  they  demanded 
that  the  government  should  protect  their  merchant  vessels 
from  these  bloody  buccaneers.  A  number  of  small  vessels 
were  accordingly  dispatched  to  the  West  Indies,  but  were 
so  hampered  by  their  instructions,  that  they  were  obliged 
to  surrender  all  pirates  captured  in  Spanish  American 
waters,  to  the  Cuban  authorities  for  punishment,  who,  after 
a  mockery  of  a  trial,  often  released  the  wretches,  to  com- 
mence anew  their  depredations.  The  captures  made  by 
these  vessels  had  little  effect  in  suppressing  piracy,  and  in 
1822,  a  large  squadron  was  sent  to  the  West  Indies  under 
Commodore  Biddle.  This  squadron  consisted  of  the  fri- 
gates Macedonian  and  Congress,  sloops  John  Adams 
and  Peacock,  and  schooners  Alligator,  Grampus,  Shark 
and  Porpoise,  mounting  178  guns,  and  with  a  comple- 
ment of  1,830  men.  This  squadron  performed  the  service 
required,  with  as  much  efficiency  as  could  have  been  ex- 
pected, under  the  circumstances,  most  of  the  vessels  being 
too  large  to  follow  the  pirates  into  the  shallow  waters  and 
secret  retreats,  with  which  the  West  Indies  abounded.  It 
was  strongly  suspected  also,  that  many  of  the  Spanish 
officials  connived  at  the  depredations  on  American  com- 
merce, finding  it  more  lucrative  to  protect  the  freebooters 
than  to  give  them  up  to  j  astice.    Piracy,  instead  of  diminish- 


272  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

ing  on  the  arrival  of  a  stronger  squadron,  was  actually  on 
the  increase,  and  outrages  on  Americans  were  more  fre- 
quent than  ever. 

Under  these  circumstances,  the  navy  department  was 
harassed  with  appeals  to  rid  ^the  sea  of  these  wretches, 
and  the  newspapers  were  filled  with  complaints  of  the 
remissness  of  our  naval  officers,  in  the  West  Indies,  who 
were  doing  all  that  could  be  done  under  the  circumstances, 
as  many  brave  encounters  with  the  pirates  in  and  about 
the  island  of  Cuba  testified.  Under  these  circumstances, 
the  government  was  glad  to  accept  Capt.  Porter's  offer,  to 
resign  his  position  as  a  navy  commissioner,  and  take 
command  of  the  West  India  squadron,  and  he  accepted 
the  duty  with  the  understanding,  that  he  was  to  fit  out  a 
force  adequate  to  meet  the  wants  of  the  occasion. 

The  following  anecdotes  may  serve  to  illustrate  Commo- 
dore Porter's  character  about  this  time  of  his  life.  Like 
all  other  men  he  had  his  imperfections,  and  it  would  be 
unreasonable  to  suppose  him  free  from  human  frailties.- 
His  very  peculiarties  sho\t  the  strength  of  his  character. 
His  temper  was  very  quick,  and  he  would  flash  up  like 
powder,  at  anything  he  considered  in  the  least  insulting, 
or  showing  a  want  of  respect  towards  him.  IsTo  man  is  a 
hero  in  the  eyes  of  his  wife,  or  valet,  unless  he  is  a  very 
milk  and  water  fellow  indeed,  and  parts  his  hair  in 
the  middle.  We  are  apt  to  picture  to  ourselves  a  great 
man  as  always  calm  and  dispassionate,  never  losing  his 
dignity,  and  free  from  the  passions  of  the  mass  of  man- 
kind, like  Scipio  Africanus.  Few  heroes  were  ever 
moulded  out  of  such  stufl:*  as  this.  Even  the  immortal 
Washington  may  have  chastised  his  little  darkies  when  he 
had  the  toothache,  or  scolded  Martha  when  he  had  to 
scoop  around  under  the  bed  with  a  bootjack  to  find  his 
slippers.  It  is  unlikely  that  the  wise  Solomon  kept  his 
temper  when  he  cracked  his  crazy  bone,  and  Job,  the 
most  patient  man  on  record,  forgot  himself  so  far  as  to 
wish  his  enemy  might  write  a  book.  We  can  imagine 
Pharaoh  swearing  worse  than  the  army  in  Flanders,  when 
Moses  turned  the  grasshoppers  into  his  favorite  pasture, 
and  raised  the  price  of  fine  tooth  combs  in  Egypt  when  he 
distributed  his   other   favors.     It  is   said,   that  Andrew 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         273 

Jackson  would  tear  his  shirt  in  two,  if  he  found  that 
Mother  Jackson  had  neglected  to  sew  on  the  buttons. 
Think  of  how  Alexander  the  Great  would  abuse  his  wife, 
if  called  upon  to  get  up  in  the  middle  of  the  night  and 
make  pap  for  the  baby,  how  Ferdinand  of  Castile  railed 
at  Isabella  when  she  forgot  to  put  his  boots  outside  the 
door  to  be  blacked;  how  Socrates  swore  with  "true  in- 
wardness" when  he  tore  his  trowsers  on  the  ra2:i^ed  edo^e 
of  nothing,  or  howB.  Franklin  would  howl  when  his  form 
was  knocked  into  pi. 

If  these  illustrious  philosophers  could  thus  let  their  tem- 
per get  the  better  of  their  judgment,  is  it  at  all  wonderful 
that  an  impulsive  sailor,  who  made  no  claims  to  philosophy, 
should  sometimes  allow  his  feelings  to  get  the  better  of 
him.  However,  it  was  only  in  trifles,  that  Commodore 
Porter  lost  his  self  control;  in  his  intercourse  with  men  in 
manner  and  language  he  generally  observed  the  most  per- 
fect decorum,  and  often  under  great  provocation  main- 
tained perfect  command  of  his  temper.  It  was  only  among 
his  immediate  family  that  he  felt  licensed  to  show,  that 
after  all  he  was  only  human. 

Among  the  things  he  had  collected  about  him  for  his 
amusement,  was  a  lot  of  beautiful  Barbary  pigeons,  which 
had  increased  and  multiplied  to  an  extraordinary  degree. 
On  a  beautiful  day  in  July,  1823,  these  birds  were  sun- 
ning themselves  on  the  top  of  a  fanciful  building  erected 
for  their  accommodation,  and  perhaps  congratulating 
themselves  on  the  happiness  of  their  condition.  At  this 
moment  one  of  the  Commodore's  sons  —  which  one  it  is 
not  necessary  to  mention  —  thought  it  would  be  an  excel- 
lent opportunity  to  try  his  skill  on  the  unsuspecting 
pigeons  with  his  father's  double  barrelled  Joe  Manton. 
The  youngster  sagely  concluded,  that  three  or  four  birds 
would  not  be  missed  among  so  many,  and  he  promised 
himself  great  pleasure  in  presenting  the  trophies  of  his 
skill  as  a  marksman,  to  a  friend  in  the  neighborhood  who 
was  fond  of  pigeon  pie.  After  mature  deliberation,  and 
a  careful  calculation  whether  the  fun  of  shooting  the 
pigeons  would  compensate  for  the  punishment  he  was  sure 
to  receive,  if  found  out  (a  kind  of  mental  exercise  he  has 
often  since  indulged  in),  and  then  not  caring  a  continental 
35 


274  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

what  might  be  the  result,  the  youth  let  drive  both  barrels 
into  the  midst  of  the  Barbary  birds,  raking  them  more 
than  he  ever  raked  anything  before  or  since.  The  slaugh- 
ter was  terrible,  the  pigeons  dropped  b}^  the  dozen,  and 
many  of  the  flying  wounded  were  distributed  over  the 
fields,  along  the  roads,  in  the  garden,  and  on  the  housetop. 
The  youngster  was  delighted,  for  the  result  had  exceeded 
his  most  sanguine  expectations;  he  had  not  supposed  that 
even  a  Joe  Manton  could  do  such  execution.  He  smiled 
complacently,  laid  the  gun  aside,  and  climbed  a  cherry 
tree  with  a  young  friend  of  his  to  regale  himself  on  for- 
bidden fruit. 

Just  at  that  moment  the  Commodore  was  returning 
home  on  horse  back,  and  as  he  ascended  the  hill  he  heard 
the  report  of  the  gun  and  saw  his  pigeons  reeling  in  the  air, 
and  one  of  them  dropping  at  his  feet.  Seeing  the  boys  in 
the  tree,  and  the  gun  leaningagainstthegate  heat  once  took 
in  the  situation,  and  quietly  dismounting  he  crept  softly  up 
to  the  tree  unnoticed  by  the  cul[)rits,  who  were  busy  in 
appropriating  the  cherries.  "Who  killed  those  pigeons," 
shouted  the  Commodore.  The  young  Porter  supposing 
his  father  w^as  in  the  city,  and  mistaking  the  voice 
for  that  of  his  pigeon  pie  loving  friend  at  the  foot  of  the 
hill,  sung  out,  "  I  did  Uncle  Tom,  and  the  old  man  '11 
have  to  send  a  sloop  of  war  to  Tunis  to  get  a  supply,  for 
there's  dead  ones  enough  to  keep  you  in  pigeon  pie  for  a 
month,  so  pick  'em  up  before  Pop  comes  home  ;  "  but 
when  the  young  sportsman  heard  the  order  to  come  down, 
and  recognized  his  father's  voice,  he  fairly  shook  in  his 
shoes. 

As  he  approached  the  ground  he  received  a  smart  cut 
with  a  horse  whip  on  the  most  vulnerable  point  of  juvenile 
anatomy,  but  before  a  second  dose  could  be  administered 
the  youngster  jumped  to  the  ground  and  took  to  his  heels, 
pursued  by  the  Commodore,  who  called  on  the  young 
rascal  to  stop,  and  threatening  the  direst  vengeance  when 
he  should  overtake  him.  Around  the  circle  they  went, 
the  Commodore  highly  indignant  at  this  piece  of  disre- 
spect, and  after  making  two  turns  without  gaining  on  the 
boy  the  senior  began  to  give  out,  when  the  young  hopeful 
sang  out  over  his  shoulder:  "  Pop  if  you  didn't  chase  the 


Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter.         275 

British  better  than  tliat,  no  wonder  you  made  so  little  prize 
money."  The  Commodore  could  not  help  laughing,  and 
regaining  his  good  humor  was  struck  with  the  absurdity 
of  getting  angry  at  such  a  small  matter;  but  though 
his  good  humor  had  returned  he  thought  proper  to  give 
the  other  boy  a  good  thrashing  for  concealing  himself  in 
the  branches,  instead  of  coming  down  like  a  man  and 
taking  his  share  of  blame. 

1^0  doubt  he  felt  better  after  performing  this  act  of  duty, 
but  he  made  a  bargain  with  his  son,  that  the  latter  should 
own  half  the  pigeons  and  look  after  them,  and  never  again 
exhibit  his  skill  with  a  Joe  Manton  in  that  direction. 

The  Commodore,  though  fond  of  practical  jokes,  did 
not  like  them  carried  too  far.  He  had  a  coachman  named 
IS"athan  in  the  house,  who  died  from  bilious  fever.  A 
few  days  after  this  man's  death,  the  servants  in  the  kitchen 
were  much  alarmed  at  a  strange  figure  that  was  seen 
every  night  in  the  cellar,  declaring  it  to  be  the  ghost 
of  the  coachman.  Every  night,  at  eleven  o'clock,  they 
would  all  rush  up  stairs  shouting  out  that  the  ghost  was  in 
the  cellar  and  throw  the  whole  house  into  confusion. 
The  Commodore,  convinced  that  there  was  some  trickery 
in  the  matter,  kept  a  strict  watch,  and  one  night  saw 
through  the  cellar  window  the  ghost  entering  with  a 
lighted  candle  in  its  hand.  It  proved  to  be  an  English 
girl  he  had  in  his  employ,  dressed  in  a  long  night  gown 
and  with  her  face  sprinkled  with  flour.  The  next  night 
the  Commodore  was  dressed  betimes,  to  resemble  the  dead 
man,  and  with  his  face  and  hands  well  blacked  stood 
with  a  wood  saw  in  his  hand  ready  to  begin  operations  on 
a  log  as  soon  as  the  ghost  should  make  its  appearance. 
Presently,  he  heard  a  footstep  descending  the  stairs,  and  saw 
the  glimmer  of  a  light  through  the  door.  He  then  com- 
menced sawing  and  the  ghost  entered,  expecting  to  frighten 
the  servant  whom  she  supposed  was  sawing  wood  for  the 
morning  fires,  but  when  she  got  close  to  the  woodsawyer, 
he  rested  from  his  labors  and  said  in  a  sepulchral  voice  : 
"  Miss  Jane,  God  Almighty  done  sent  me  for  you."  The 
frightened  woman  sank  shrieking  to  the  ground,  then 
jumping  to  her  feet  she  rushed  frantically  from  the  house, 
and  took  to  the  woods,  the  coachman's  ghost  shouting  afte  r 


276         MEMotB,  OF  Commodore  David  Porter. 

her.  The  woman  nearly  died  of  fright,  but  was  eiFectnally 
cured  of  any  desire  to  play  the  ghost  again. 

Next  to  the  Commodore's  place  on  Meridian  Hill,  the 
present  Columbia  college  was  established,  which  was  in 
some  respects  a  nuisance,  the  boys  constantly  trespassing 
upon  the  farm  and  robbing  his  orchard.  Instead  of  com- 
plaining to  the  faculty,  the  Commodore  one  day  went  to  the 
ground  where  the  boys  were  at  play  and  called  them  around 
him.  He  told  them  that  he  was  sorry  to  see  that  some  of 
their  number  w^ere  disposed  to  commit  depredations,  that 
such  things  were  dishonorable,  and,  that  they  might  have  no 
excuse  for  such  actions  he  would  in  future  reserve  for  their 
use  the  outer  row  of  apple  trees,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
in  length,  warning  them  not  to  trespass  on  the  others. 
The  youngsters  gave  him  three  cheers,  and  promised  to 
stick  to  the  bargain.  Only  one  of  their  number  violated  the 
agreement,  and  he  received  a  sound  horsewhipping  at  the 
hands  of  the  Commodore.  This  culprit  later  in  life  became 
a  member  of  congress,  and  although  he  harbored  no 
animosity  against  the  Commodore,  never  forgot  the  horse- 
whipping, and  never  afterwards  liked  the  taste  of  apples. 

Tl]e  Commodore  was  never  so  much  oppressed  by  the 
cares  of  office  as  to  lay  aside  his  chivalric  feelings.  One 
day  riding  in  to  his  court  martial  from  Meridian  Hill,  he 
noticed  a  lady  leading  a  small  dog  by  a  ribbon,  while  a 
constable,  armed  with  a  double  barrelled  gun,  was  dodging 
around  her  endeavoring  to  shoot  the  little  animal,  on  the 
ground  that  an  order  had  been  issued  requiring  him  to 
kill  all  dogs  found  in  the  street.  The  lady  pleaded  earn- 
estly for  the  life  of  her  favorite,  but  without  avail,  for  the 
ruthless  constable  fired  and  killed  the  dog  before  her  eyes. 
The  Commodore  witnessed  this  transaction  too  late  to  pre- 
vent the  catastrophe,  but  jumping  from  his  horse  he  ran  to 
the  spot  and  gave  the  man  such  a  chastisement  with  his 
horsewhip,  that  he  took  to  his  heels,  leaving  his  gun,  which 
the  Commodore  smashed  to  pieces  against  a  lamp  post. 

On  another  occasion  he  was  requested  to  act  as  one  of 
the  managers  at  a  ball,  given  by  the  citizens  of  Washing- 
ton. Against  one  lady,  whom  it  was  proposed  to  invite, 
certain  of  the  managers  took  exception,  on  the  ground  of 
reports  against  her  character.     The  Commodore  was  not 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         277 

present  at  the  meeting  where  this  matter  was  discussed, 
bat  heard  of  the  affair  just  before  the  company  assembled, 
and  learned  that  a  committee  would  be  appointed  to  load 
the  lady  from  the  ball  room  should  she  appear  upon  the 
floor.  The  Commodore  never  tolerated  oppression,  and 
was  always  ready  to  take  up  the  gauntlet  where  a  lady  was 
concerned.  He  considered  the  conduct  of  the  committee 
contemptible  in  the  extreme,  and  believed  the  reports 
against  the  lady  exaggerated.  Taking  his  stand  near  the 
dressing  room  he  said  to  her  as  she  came  out,  '^  Take 
my  arm  Madam,  and  give  yourself  no  uneasiness  about 
what  may  occur,"  and  they  advanced  into  the  ball  room. 
The  committee  were  standing  near  the  door,  and  to  them 
the  Commodore  remarked  :  "  I  will  hold  any  one  personally 
responsible  who  attempts  in  any  way  to  interfere  with  this 
lady,  whom  I  take  under  my  particular  charge."  The 
committee  did  not  feel  disposed  to  encounter  the  anger 
of  the  fiery  sailor,  in  whose  eye  they  plainly  saw  mischief. 
It  only  remains  to  say  that  the  injured  lady  received  as 
much  attention  at  that  ball  as  any  one. 

Such  acts  as  these  gave  the  Commodore  great  popularity, 
and  made  him  friends  in  all  quarters  where  he  cared  to.. 
have  them,  for  he  did  not  wish  to  be  friendl}^  with  mean 
men,  and  took  no  trouble  to  conceal  his  aversion  to  them. 

Difficulty  with  Decatur. —  Decatur,  although  one  of  the 
most  gallant  officers  in  the  navy,  was  not  a  man  of  great 
administrative  abilities,  nor  did  he  at  first  thoroughly  appre- 
ciate the  necessities  of  the  service,  while  holding  the  office 
of  navy  commissioner.  He  was  of  an  arbitrary  disposition, 
and  like  all  the  old  sea  dogs  of  1812,  liked  to  have  his  own 
way.  The  several  duties  of  navy  commissioners  were 
divided  among  the  three  members  of  the  board,  but 
Commodore  Decatur  was  constantly  interfering  in  the 
duties  allotted  to  his  colleagues.  On  one  occasion,  he 
ventured  to  oppose  some  action  of  Commodore  Porter's, 
who  objected  to  the  proposition,  when  Decatur  in  a  pet 
declared  that  he  was  of  no  use  on  the  board,  for  Commodore 
Podgers  and  Porter  always  voted  against  him.  When 
Porter  turning  quickly  upon  him  said :  "  Commodore  De- 
catur, what  you  say  is  untrue,  and  your  complaints  are 
frivolous,  and  I  hold  myself  responsible  for  what  I  say." 


278  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

Decatur  did  not  wait  to  hear  any  more,  but  flung  himself 
out  of  the  office.  Commodore  Rodgers,  who  was  always 
coolheaded  and  generally  a  peace  maker,  anticipated  that 
Decatur  would  take  notice  of  the  remark ;  but  after  stay- 
ing away  two  or  thr^e  days  Decatur  returned  in  better 
humor,  and  the  old  friendship  was  not  in  the  least  dis- 
turbed. This  was  about  the  only  difficulty  that  took  place, 
while  the  Commodore  held  the  office  of  navy  commissioner. 


CHAPTER  XYII. 


Commodore  Porter  received  orders  from  the  Hon- 
orable Smith  Thompson,  secretary  of  the  navy,  on  the  first 
of  February,  1823,  to  command  the  West  India  squadron, 
and  as  his  letter  of  instructions  has  an  important  bearing 
on  the  events  of  the  cruise,  and  will  hereafter  be  frequently 
referred  to,  we  insert  it  entire. 

Navy  Department,  Feb.  1,  1823. 

Sir :  You  have  been  appointed  to  the  command  of  a  squadron  fitted 
out,  under  an  act  of  congress  of  the  20th  of  December  last,  to  cruise 
in  the  West  India  seas  and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  for  the  purpose  of 
repressing  piracy,  and  affording  effectual  protection  to  the  citizens 
and  commerce  of  the  United  States. 

Your  attention  will  also  be  extended  to  the  suppression  of  the 
slave  trade,  according  to  the  provisions  of  the  several  acts  of  con- 
gress, on  that  subject;  copies  of  which,  and  of  the  instructions 
heretofore  given  to  our  naval  commanders  thereon,  are  herewith 
sent  to  you. 

While  it  is  your  duty  to  protect  our  commerce  against  all  unlaw- 
ful interruption,  and  to  guard  the  rights,  both  o^ person  and  property^ 
of  the  citizens  of  the  United  States,  wherever  it  shall  become  ne- 
cessary, you  will  observe  the  utmost  caution  not  to  encroach  upon 
the  rights  of  others;  and  should  you,  at  any  time,  be  brought  into 
discussion,  or  collision  with  any  foreign  power,  in  relation  to  such 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         279 

rights,  it  will  be  expedient  and  proper  that  the  same  should  be  con- 
ducted with  as  much  moderation  and  forbearance^  as  is  consistent 
with  the  honor  of  your  country,  and  the  just  claims  of  its  citizens. 

Should  you,  in  your  cruise,  fall  in  with  any  foreign  naval  force 
engaged  in  the  suppression  of  piracy,  it  is  desirable  that  harmony 
and  good  understanding  should  be  cultivated  between  you  ;  and  yuu 
will  do  everything,  on  your  part,  that  accords  with  the  honor  of  the 
American  flag,  to  promote  this  object. 

So  soon  as  the  vessels  at  Norfolk  shall  be  ready  for  sea,  you  will 
proceed  to  the  West  Indies,  by  such  route  as  you  shall  judge  best, 
for  the  purpose  of  effecting  the  object  of  your  cruise.  You  will 
establish  at  Thompson's  island,  usually  called  Key  West,  a  depot, 
and  land  the  ordnance  and  marines  to  protect  the  stores  and  pro- 
visions; if,  however,  you  shall  find  any  important  objections  to  this 
place,  and  a  more  suitable  and  convenient  one  can  be  found,  you 
are  at  liberty  to  select  it  as  a  depot. 

You  will  announce  your  arrival  and  object,  to  the  authorities,  civil 
and  military,  of  the  island  of  Cuba,  and  endeavor  to  obtain,  as  far 
as  shall  be  practicable,  their  co-operation;  or  at  least  their  favorable 
and  friendly  support,  giving  them  the  most  unequivocal  assurance, 
that  your  sole  object  is  the  destruction  of  pirates. 

The  system  of  piracy  which  has  grown  up  in  the  West  Indies,  has 
obviously  arisen  from  the  war  between  Spain  and  the  new  govern- 
ments, her  late  provinces  in  this  hemisphere;  and  from  the  limited 
force  in  the  islands,  and  their  sparse  population,  many  portions  of 
each  being  entirely  uninhabited  and  desolate,  to  which  the  active 
authority  of  the  government  does  not  extend.  It  is  understood  that 
establishments  have  been  made  by  parties  of  these  banditti,  in  those 
uninhabited  parts,  to  which  they  carry  their  plunder,  and  retreat  in 
time  of  danger.  It  cannot  be  preswmec/,  that  the  government  of  any 
island  will  afford  any  protection,  or  countenance,  to  such  robbers. 
It  may,  on  the  contrary,  confidently  be  believed^  that  all  govern- 
ments, and  particularly  those  most  exposed,  will  afford  all  means  in 
their  power  for  their  suppresssion. 

Pirates  are  considered,  by  the  law  of  nations,  the  enemies  of  the 
human  race.  It  is  the  duty  of  all  nations  to  put  them  down ;  and 
none,  who  respect  their  own  character  or  interest,  will  refuse  to  do 
it,  much  less  afford  them  an  asylum  and  protection.  The  nation 
that  makes  the  greatest  exertions  to  suppress  such  banditti,  has  the 
greatest  merit.  In  making  such  exertions,  it  has  a  right  to  the  aid 
of  every  other  power,  to  the  extent  of  its  means,  and  to  the  enjoy- 
ment, under  its  sanction,  of  all  its  rights  in  the  pursuit  of  the  object. 
In  the  case  of  belligerents,  where  the  army  of  one  party  enters  the 
territory  of  a  neutral   power,  the  army  of  the  other  has  a  right  to 


280         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

follow  it  there.  In  the  case  of  pirates,  the  right  of  the  armed  force 
of  one  power  to  follow  them  into  the  territory  of  another,  is  more 
complete.  In  regard  to  pirates,  there  is  no  neutral  party ;  they 
being  the  eoemies  of  the  human  race,  all  nations  are  parties  against 
them,  and  may  be  considered  as  allies. 

The  object  and  intention  of  our  government  is,  to  respect  the  feel- 
ings as  well  as  the  rights  of  others,  both  in  substance  and  in  form, 
in  all  the  measures  which  may  be  adopted  to  accomplish  the  end  in 
view.  Should,  therefore,  the  crews  of  any  vessels  which  you  have 
seen  engaged  in  acts  of  piracy,  or  which  you  have  just  cause  to 
suspect  of  being  of  that  character,  retreat  into  the  ports,  harbors, 
or  settled  parts  of  the  islands,  you  may  enter  in  pursuit  of  them, 
such  ports,  harbors,  and  settled  parts  of  the  country,  for  the  purpose 
of  aiding  the  local  authorities,  or  people,  as  the  case  may  be,  to  seize 
and  bring  the  offenders  to  justice;  previously  giving  notice  that 
this  is  your  sole  object.  Where  a  government  exists  and  is  felt, 
you  will  in  all  instances  respect  the  local  authorities,  and  only  act  in 
aid  of  and  in  cooperation  with  them ;  it  being  the  exclusive  purpose  of 
the  government  of  the  United  States  to  suppress  piracy,  an  object  in 
which  all  nations  are  equally  interested;  and  in  the  accomplishment 
of  which,  the  Spanish  authorities  a^udi people  will,  it  {^presumed, 
cordially  cooperate  with  you.  If,  in  the  pursuit  of  pirates  found  at 
sea,  they  shall  retreat  into  the  unsettled  parts  of  the  islands,  or 
foreign  territory,  you  are  at  liberty  to  pursue  them  so  long  only,  as 
there  is  reasonable  prospect  of  being  able  to  apprehend  them  ;  and 
in  no  case  are  you  at  liberty  to  pursue  and  apprehend  any  one,  after 
having  been  forbidden  so  to  do  by  competent  authority  of  the  local 
government. 

And  should  you,  on  such  pursuit,  apprehend  any  pirates  upon 
land,  you  will  deliver  them  over  to  the  proper  authority,  to  be  dealt 
with  according  to  law ;  and  you  will  furnish  such  evidence,  as  shall 
be  in  your  power,  to  prove  the  offense  alleged  against  them.  Should 
the  local  authorities  refuse  to  receive  and  prosecute  such  persons,  so 
apprehended,  on  your  furnishing  them  with  reasonable  evidence  of 
their  guilt,  you  will  then  keep  them  safely  and  securely,  on  board 
some  of  the  vessels  under  your  command,  and  report  without  delay 
to  this  department,  the  particular  circumstances  of  such  cases. 

Great  complaints  are  made  of  the  interruption  and  injury  to  our 
commere,  by  privateers  fitted  out  from  Spanish  ports.  You  will 
endeavor  to  obtain,  from  the  Spanish  authorities,  a  list  of  the  vessels 
so  commissioned,  and  ascertain  how  far  they  have  been  instructed  to 
intercept  our  trade  with  Mexico  and  the  Colombian  Republic  ; 
impressing  upon  them,  that  according  to  the  well  settled  rule  of  the 
law  of  nations^  the  United  States  will  not  consider  any  portion  of  the 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         281 

coast,  upon  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  as  legally  blockaded,  except  where 
a  naval  force  is  stationed,  sufficient  to  carry  into  effect  the  blockad- 
ing order  or  decree ;  and  that  this  government  does  not  recognize 
the  right,  or  authority  of  Spain,  to  interdict  or  interrupt  our  com- 
merce with  any  portion  of  the  coast,  included  within  the  Colombian 
Republic  or  Mexican  government,  not  actually  blockaded  by  a  com- 
petent force. 

All  the  United  States  ships  and  vessels  of  war  in  the  West  Indies, 
of  which  a  list  is  herewith  enclosed,  are  placed  under  your  command, 
and  you  will  distribute  them  to  such  stations,  as  shall  appear  to  you 
best  calculated  to  afford  complete  protection  to  our  commerce,  in 
which  you  will  embrace  the  object  of  protecting  the  convoy  of  specie 
from  Vera  Cruz,  and  the  Mexican  coast  generally,  to  the  United 
States.  Keep  one  vessel  at  least  upon  this  service,  to  be  at  or  near 
Vera  Cruz,  during  the  healthy  season  of  the  year,  and  to  be  relieved 
as  occasion  shall  require,  both  for  convoy  of  trade,  and  to  bring  specie 
to  the  United  States,  confining  the  transportation  to  the  United 
States  only. 

You  will  be  particularly  watchful  to  preserve  the  health  of  the 
officers  and  crews  under  your  command,  and  to  guard,  in  every  pos- 
sible manner,  against  the  unhealthiness  of  the  climate;  not  per- 
mitting any  intercourse  with  the  shore  where  the  yellow  fever 
prevails,  except  in  cases  of  absolute  necessity. 

Wishing  you  good  health,  and  a  successful  cruise,  I  am. 
Very  respectfully,  sir,  your  obedient  servant, 
Com.  David  Porter,  commanding  Smith  Thompson. 

U.  S.  Naval  Forces,  West  Indies,  Present. 

While  his  instructions  were  preparing,  Commodore 
Porter  was  authorized  to  proceed  north,  and  purchase 
vessels  of  light  draft,  suitable  for  following  pirates  among 
the  shoals  and  secret  hiding  places  of  the  West  Indies. 
With  this  view,  he  purchased  at  Baltimore  eight  schooners 
called  bay  boats,  very  fast  sailers ;  but,  as  they  were  at  the 
time  loaded  with  firewood  for  market,  they  did  not  much 
resemble  vessels  of  war.  They  were  sent  to  the  navy  yards 
at  Norfolk  and  ]^ew  York,  and  there  fitted  for  service, 
and  named  as  follows : 


Tons. 

Guns. 

Men. 

Tons. 

Guns. 

Men. 

Fox, 

51 

3 

31 

Terrier, 

61 

3 

31 

Greyhound, 

65 

3 

31 

Weasel, 

53 

3 

31 

Jackall, 

47 

3 

31 

Wild  Cat, 

48 

3 

31 

Beagle, 

52 

3 
36 

31 

Ferret, 

51 

3 

31 

282         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

At  'Rew  York,  the  Commodore  purchased  a  storeship, 
which  he  named  the  Decoy,  and  a  steam  vessel,  the  Sea 
Gull,  which  was  originally  built  for  a  Jersey  city  ferry 
boat,  and  was  about  half  the  size  of  those  now  in  use. 
The  Decoy,  whose  name  indicated  her  character,  mounted 
six  guns,  the  Sea  Gull  three;  the  latter  was  rigged  as  a 
steam  galliot,  and  made  a  very  respectable  appearance, 
although  the  croakers  predicted  that  she  would  founder 
at  sea  in  the  first  blow. 

Besides  the  above,  the  Commodore  had  constructed  ^ve 
large  barges,  each  pulling  twenty  oars,  and  named  Mus- 
quito.  Gnat,  Midge,  Sandfly,  and  Gallinipper. 

The  vessels  then  in  the  West  Indies,  were  the  sloops  of 
war,  John  Adams,  Peacock,  and  Hornet,  and  the  schooners 
Spark,  Shark  and  Grampus.  The  whole  squadron  consisted 
of  16  vessels,  1150  seamen  and  marines,  and  133  guns;  a 
small  force  for  so  important  a  service,  but  the  commander- 
in-chief  determined,  by  imposing  extra  labor  upon  his 
officers  and  men,  to  make  it  adequate  to  the  occasion. 

The  Commodore  hoisted  his  broad  pendant  on  board  the 
Peacock,  and  proceeded  to  sea  with  all  the  vessels  of  the 
squadron,  on  the  14th  of  February,  1823.  As  the  United 
States  government  had  not  placed  itself  in  communication 
with  the  Spanish  authorities  in  relation  to  the  suppression 
of  piracy,  through  our  naval  officers.  Commodore  Porter 
deemed  it  his  duty  to  do  so  on  the  first  opportunity. 

Great  publicity  had  been  given,  by  the  press  of'this 
country,  to  the  movements  of  the  vessels  of  the  squadron, 
and  much  comment  had  been  made  on  the  increased  force 
the  United  States  were  about  to  send  to  the  West  Indies, 
with  the  double  purpose  of  suppressing  piracy  and  vindi- 
cating our  commercial  rights,  by  raising  those  paper  block- 
ades on  the  Spanish  main,  which  our  government  with 
characteristic  weakness  had  sufiered  to  exist,  unnoticed, 
until  compelled  by  public  clamor  to  take  some  action. 
Even  when  the  government  did  move  in  the  matter,  they 
reduced  the  force  which  it  was  originally  intended  to  put 
under  Com.  Porter's  orders,  by  several  vessels,  including 
two  frigates,  notwithstanding  his  urgent  application  to  the 
department  to  be  allowed  at  least  one  vessel  of  this  class,  as 


M 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  283 

a  naval  head  quarters,  in  which  to  perform  the  duties 
appertaining  to  such  a  command. 

His  first  visit  was  to  the  Island  of  Porto  Rico,  where  he 
wrote  to  the  governor,  on  the  4th  of  March,  and  disclosed 
to  him  fully  the  objects  that  brought  him  to  the  West 
Indies,  and  invoked  his  excellency's  aid  in  the  suppression 
of  piracy,  an  object  in  which  the  civilized  world  had  a 
common  interest  with  the  governments  of  the  West 
India  islands.  The  West  India  governors  had,  hitherto, 
been  so  lukewarm  in  the  pursuit  of  pirates,  as  to  subject 
them  to  the  suspicion  of  being  personally  interested  in 
the  nefarious  transactions  which  took  place  almost  under 
their  eyes.  Lieut.  John  Porter,  of  the  Greyhound,  was 
the  bearer  of  this  communication,  and  the  schooner  Fox, 
Lieut.  Cocke,  was  sent  into  the  harbor  of  St.  Johns  to 
bring  back  an  answer.  As  the  Fox  stood  in,  a  shot  was 
fired  over  her  from  the  fort,  which  not  being  noticed  a 
second  was  aimed  directly  at  her,  killing  Lieut.  Cocke  on 
the  spot.  The  fort  did  not  cease  firing  until  the  schooner 
anchored  under  its  guns.  There  was  no  excuse  for  this  con- 
duct on  the  part  of  the  Spaniards,  as  the  schooner  had  the 
American  flag  flying,  and  there  was  no  restriction  against 
a  vessel  of  war  entering  a  Spanish  port,  at  any  time 
between  sunrise  and  sunset.  It  seems  that  the  governor 
being  absent  from  the  city,  the  commander  of  the  fort  took 
upon  himself  the  responsibility  of  prohibiting  the  entrance 
of  any  vessel  belonging  to  the  strange  squadron  seen  out- 
side, whose  character  he  did  not  understand,  and  this  was 
the  only  satisfaction  that  could  be  obtained.  Thus  at  the 
outset  of  his  expedition.  Commodore  Porter  found  him- 
self involved  in  difficulties  with  the  Spanish  authorities, 
who  wantonly  fired  on  the  American  flag  with  hardly  the 
shadow  of  a  reason  to  give  for  so  doing. 

The  Commodore  immediately  wrote  to  the  governor, 
demanding  information  relative  to  this  unwarrantable  pro- 
ceeding (he  had  not  yet  received  an  answer  to  his  former 
letter),  which  closed  as  follows: 

"  It  will  afford  me  sincere  pleasure,  should  I  be  so  fortunate  as  to 
fulfill  the  expectations  of  my  government,  and  at  the  same  time  pre- 
serve harmony  and  a  good  understanding  with  those  with  whom  I 
may  be  so  unfortunate  as  to  come  into  collision,  or  discussion,  in 


284        Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

relation  thereto ;  indeed,  it  will  add  much  to  my  happiness  if  it  can 
be  avoided  altogether." 

In  Ms  second  letter,  after  narrating  the  fact  of  the  case, 
he  proceeds  to  say  : 

"  On  the  arrival  of  the  Fox  within  gunshot  of  the  castle,  I  was 
much  surprised  to  observe  that  six  guns  were  fired  at  her,  but  know- 
ing of  no  cause  to  justify  such  an  act  of  violence,  I  should  have 
thought  I  had  been  mistaken  had  not  the  commander  of  the  three 
vessels  failed  to  obey  my  instructions,  which  could  not  have  hap- 
pened, but  for  some  violent  detention  by  the  authorities  at  St.  Johns. 

"  Until  I  am  better  satisfied  of  the  fact,  however,  I  shall  refrain 
from  the  expression  of  my  sentiments  on  the  subject,  and  shall  for 
the  present  merely  observe,  that  the  character  of  the'  vessels  could 
not  have  been  misunderstood,  as  my  squadron  at  the  time  of  the  de- 
parture of  the  Fox  was  lying  in  full  view  of  the  castle,  with  colors 
flying,  and  a  British  squadron,  under  command  of  Sir  Thomas  Coch- 
rane (which  had  several  times  communicated  with  me  and  well  knew 
the  vessels),  arrived  there  the  day  previous  to  the  last  mentioned 
vessel,  and  on  the  day  of  my  arrival  off  the  port. 

"  I  know  not  whether  my  suspicions  are  correct,  but  I  have,  in 
the  event  of  their  being  so.,  directed  the  senior  officer  to  abandon 
the  vesHels  and  leave  the  island  of  Porto  Rico,  as  soon  as  possible, 
leaving  it  to  my  government  (to  which  I  shall  make  known  the  facts), 
to  resent  the  outrage  as  it  may  think  proper,  and  which  it  will  no 
doubt  promptly  and  effectually  do. 

"  Your  Excellency  must  be  aware,  that  it  is  always  in  my  power 
to  retaliate,  and  even  in  this  place,  but  it  would  be  a  poor  return 
for  the  friendship  and  hospitality  I  have  received  from  the  inhabit- 
ants, and  I  cannot  reconcile  to  myself  that  the  innocent  should  be 
made  to  suffer  for  offenses  not  their  own." 

When  you  engage  in  a  written  correspondence  with  a 
high  Spanish  functionary,  there  is  no  knowing  when  it 
will  terminate ;  for  these  gentlemen  have  a  peculiar  faculty 
of  maintaining  the  affair,  until  they  have  wearied  out  their 
opponent,  and  are  really  so  plausible  as  to  (almost)  convince 
a  man  against  the  evidence  of  his  senses.  The  governor 
of  Porto  Rico  embellished  his  communications  with  all 
those  flowers  of  rhetoric  so  common  in  the  Castilian  tongue, 
and  a  novice  would  have  supposed  that  the  death  of  Lieut. 
Cocke  had  afflicted  him  with  a  grief  from  which  he  could 
never  hope  to  recover,  but  he  tried  to  shift  all  the  blame 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  285 

upon  the  shoulders  of  the  Americans,  on  the  "  ground  that 
an  expedition  against  Spain  had,  the  year  previous,  been 
armed  in  the  waters  of  the  United  States  and  had  entered 
the  harbor  of  St.  Bartholomew  with  the  American  flag  fly- 
ing;" that  when  the  oflicers  of  the  first  vessels  that  entered 
met  the  captain  of  the  port,  they  had  informed  him  that 
Spain  had  ceded  Porto  Rico  to  the  United  States,  and  from 
their  not  presenting  a  writing  from  the  Commodore,  he 
had  seen  something  alarming  in  these  rumors.  His  ex- 
cellency concluded  in  true  Spanish  style. 

"  The  remissness  of  the  officer,  and  the  pertinacity  of  him  who 
commanded,  in  not  suspending  his  entering,  in  spite  of  the  firing 
from  the  port,  and  without  waiting  for  a  pilot,  but  notwithstanding 
this  and  the  second  discharge  of  a  gun  at  an  elevation,  to  crowd  sail 
in  order  to  gain  the  port.  These  acts,  most  excellent  Sir,  have  been 
the  means  of  depriving  the  United  States  of  a  citizen,  your  Excel- 
lency of  an  officer,  and  of  filling  Porto  Eico  with  mourning,  and 
myself  with  inexpressible  sorrow.  I  feel  it  to  be  my  duty  to  assure 
your  excellency,  that  the  orders  issued  by  the  king's  officer  and  com- 
mandant general  of  the  place,  were  by  no  means  intended  to  com- 
mit hostilities,  or  offenses  against  the  vessels,  but  as  the  firing  was 
made  at  an  elevation,  either  the  trembling  of  the  sea,  or  some  bad 
pointing,  must  have  been  the  cause  why  the  fourth  discharge  should 
produce  such  a  fatal  effect.'*  (!) 

This  effusion  ended  with, 

May  God  grant  your  Excellency  many  years, 

Most  excellent  Sir. 
To  the  most  Excellent  Miguel  de  la  Torre. 

Commander  in  Chief  of  the  Anglo  American  Squadron 
in  the  offing  at  Porto  Rico,  D.  David  Porter. 

After  this  affair,  Commodore  Porter  divided  his  squadron 
into  detachments  around  the  Island  of  Cuba,  and  so  ener- 
getic were  the  commanders,  that  the  pirates  were  obliged  to 
abandon  the  sea  and  take  to  the  land,  operating  in  large 
bands  and  carrying  consternation  among  the  inhabitants. 
Foreign  merchants  were  among  the  sufferers,  and  some  of 
them  lost  thousands  of  dollars  worth  of  goods,  carried  off 
right  under  the  eyes  of  the  authorities. 

Very  exaggerated  accounts  of  piracies  were  current  in 
the  United  States,  and  in  April,  severe  strictures  were  made 


286  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

by  the  press  in  regard  to  the  want  of  vigilance  of  the  Ame- 
rican squadron — which  had  hardly  got  on  the  cruising 
ground.  The  New  York  Evening  Post  of  April  10th,  1823 , 
animadverted  in  strong  terms  on  the  incapacity  of  the  fleet, 
and  the  article  drew  from  Com.  Porter  a  letter  to  the  editor, 
which  showed  conclusively,  that  in  the  short  time  he  had 
been  in  command  in  the  West  Indies,  piracy  at  sea  was 
almost  annihilated,  and  was  confined  to  the  land,  over  which 
he  had  no  control.  Now  it  seems  to  us,  that  the  Commodore 
was  unnecessarily  sensitive  in  regard  to  these  misrepresent- 
ations, for  the  best  and  bravest  officer  that  ever  lived  would 
not  escape  detraction,  but  he  keenly  felt  the  injustice  heaped 
upon  him  by  editors  of  the  press,  who  took  their  cue  from 
certain  American  merchants  who  wished  the  whole  squad- 
ron to  be  at  their  disposal. 

To  show  what  was  being  done,  we  find  Capt.  Cassin  of 
the  Peacock  reports  the  capture  (by  the  Gallinipper),  on  the 
16th  April,  of  a  pirate  sloop,  inside  the  reef  at  Cape  Blanco. 
The  same  day,  the  Peacock  anchored  in  a  noted  harbor 
for  pirates,  which  she  no  sooner  did,  than  a  piratical  felucca 
was  seen  standing  out  for  the  Gallinipper.  On  opening  the 
vessels,  she  lowered  her  sails  and  pulled  around  a  point  of 
the  island.  Chase  was  given,  and  she  was  finally  captured 
in  a  secret  cove,  where  she  had  been  hastily  covered  with 
bushes.  When  the  pirates  found  that  their  vessel  was  dis- 
covered, they  opened  a  fire  of  musketry  and  then  fled  to 
the  woods,  where  a  running  fight  took  place,  till  the  rovers 
finding  themselves  hard  pressed,  threw  away  their  arms 
and  everything  else  they  carried,  in  order  to  efiect  their 
escape.  The  prize  was  a  beautiful  vessel,  just  built  for 
pirating,  and  pulled  sixteen  oars.  A  quantity  of  merchan- 
dise was  recaptured,  and  the  settlement  of  the  pirates 
burned.  The  Pilot,  a  piratical  schooner,  had  been  pre- 
viously recaptured  and  sent  to  Havana,  as  a  warning  to  the 
friends  of  these  gentry,  that  the  Yankees  were  after  them. 

Lieut.  Commandant  Kearney  reports  breaking  up  a  nest 
of  pirates  at  Cape  Cruz,  where  eight  boats  were  captured, 
together  with  a  four  pounder,  and  two  swivels  mounted  as 
a  battery.  In  one  intricate  cave  were  found  various  arti- 
cles of  plunder,  and  some  human  bones.  Among  the 
pirates  captured,  were  two  women,  one  of  them  the  wife 


Memoik  of  Commodoke  David  Pokter.         287 

of  the  captain  of  the  gang,  who  was  then  in  prison  in  the 
interior  of  the  island  for  burning  an  English  brig.  This 
woman  was  a  second  Helen  McGrregor,  and  fought  despe- 
rately before  she  was  captured.  Even  the  children,  who  were 
too  young  to  fight,  helped  the  old  men  light  the  signal  fires, 
to  give  notice  of  the  approach  of  the  Americans.  Lieut. 
Kearney  also  secured  the  arrest  and  condemnation  of  a 
pirate,  who  had  committed  an  outrage  on  three  American 
vessels. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  to  catch  these  freebooters, 
who  only  ventured  out  in  boats  (living  in  secret  hiding  places 
on  shore),  it  was  necessary  to  invade  the  territory  of  Spain, 
where  questions  would  arise  as  to  the  propriety  of  landing 
armed  forces  and  destroying  property.  It,  therefore,  was 
not  unfrequently  the  case,  that  our  sailors  had  to  land  and 
receive  the  fire  of  the  pirates  in  amlDush,  while  discussing 
the  propriety  of  injuring  a  horde  of  freebooters,  who  would 
often  give  as  an  excuse  for  their  own  conduct,  to  the  Spanish 
authorities,  that  they  took  the  strangers  for  Columbian 
privateersmen. 

On  the  10th  of  May,  1823,  the  Commodore  reports  to 
the  secretary  of  the  navy  :  "  our  last  cruise  has  been  most 
arduous  and  fatiguing,  and  although  we  have  not  many 
trophies  to  show,  it  has  not  been  without  effect.  The  result 
has  been  the  capture  of  one  piratical  schooner,  and  a  very 
fine  felucca,  and  the  destruction  of  one  building,  the  burn- 
ing of  three  schooners  in  the  Eio  Palmas,  and  about  a 
dozen  piratical  houses  in  the  different  establishments  to 
leeward  of  Bahia  Honda ;  the  complete  dispersion  of  all 
piratical  gangs  from  Eio  Palmas  to  Cape  Antonio ;  and  what 
will  be  of  great  importance  in  our  future  operations,  we 
have  gained  a  thorough  knowledge  of  all  the  coast  from 
Cape  Blanco,  down  to  Cape  Antonio  on  the  west.  When 
I  left  Matanzas,  the  country  was  alarmed  by  large  bands  of 
robbers  who  had  plundered  several  estates,  and  committed 
sonje  murders  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  city.  Bodies  of 
horsemen  were  sent  in  pursuit  of  them,  and  the  militia  were 
all  under  arms.  Some  prisoners  had  been  taken,  and  it 
was  said  that  these  bands  were  composed  of  the  freebooters 
which  lately  infested  the  coast,  who  having  been  com- 


288  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

pelled  to  abandon  the  ocean  had  taken  up  this  new  line  of 
business." 

The  following  is  a  summary  of  what  was  accomplished 
by  Commodore  Porter,  forty-three  days  after  sailing  with 
his  squadron  from  the  United  States.  The  day  of  his  ar- 
rival at  Porto  Rico  he  dispatched  a  division  of  schooners 
to  the  south  side  of  the  island  to  protect  American  com- 
merce. He  was  detained  at  Porto  Rico  seven  days  on 
matters  previously  referred  to,  during  which  time,  he  caused 
the  blockade  of  the  Spanish  main,  which  had  heretofore 
existed,  to  be  raised.  After  leaving  Porto  Rico,  he  divided 
his  squadron  into  detachments,  and  sent  some  to  the  north, 
and  some  to  the  south  side  of  Cuba  and  St.  Domingo,  ex- 
amining every  nook  where  a  pirate  would  likely  be  stowed 
away.  After  scouring  the  West  Indies,  the  Commodore 
arrived  in  the  Peacock  at  Mktanzas,  with  only  two  officers 
and  scarcely  men  enough  to  work  the  ship,  all  the  boats 
and  every  officer  and  man  that  could  be  spared,  having 
been  sent  three  hundred  miles  to  the  windward  among  the 
keys  in  search  of  pirates.  He  then  established  his  head 
quarters  at  Key  West,  built  storehouses  and  a  hospital,  and 
fitted  out  his  vessels  and  barges  afresh,  and  sent  them  to 
the  south  side  of  Cuba,  forming  convoys  so  that  every 
American  vessel  could  sail  under  protection.  He  recap- 
tured an  American  schooner  that  had  been  captured  and 
fitted  out  by  the  pirates,  and  destroyed  her  crew. 

Thus,  in  a  short  time  after  his  arrival  on  the  coast, 
piracy  was  completely  broken  up,  and  our  merchant  vessels 
were  as  free  to  traverse  the  West  Indies  as  they  are  to-day, 
the  pirates  fleeing  to  the  interior  out  of  the  reach  of  the 
squadron,  where  they  were  only  amenable  to  the  laws 
of  Spain.  The  press,  however,  complained  that  vessels  on 
the  high  seas  did  not  fall  in  with  the  squadron !  never  con- 
sidering that  the  place  to  find  the  pirates  was  among  the 
inaccessible  islands  and  keys,  in  mangrove  swamps,  amid 
obstacles  that  would  daunt  all  except  the  stoutest  hearts. 
In  the  pursuit  of  these  murderous  freebooters,  our  officers 
and  men  were  exposed  for  weeks  at  a  time,  in  open  boats, 
to  the  baneful  influences  of  a  pestilential  climate,  and  to 
constant  danger  from  pirates  in  ambush. 

Before  Com.  Porter's  arrival  in  the  West  Indies,  the  coasts 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  289 

swarmed  with  pirates,  and  at  the  principal  ports  there  were 
many  vessels,  not  daring  to  go  to  sea  without  a  convoy.  E'ot 
a  single  capture  had  been  made,  and  no  information  could 
be  obtained  of  the  freebooters,  as  they  had  temporarily 
abandoned  their  pursuits  at  sea  and  mingled  with  the 
sympathizing  population  of  the  islands. 

In  speaking  of  the  ungenerous  attacks  upon  him  and 
his  officers  by  the  American  press,  Com.  Porter  truly  says  : 
^*  Three  years  since,  five  schooners,  mounting  sixty  guns 
and  carrying  five  hundred  men,  were  built  for  the  suppres- 
sion of  piracy,  and  these  in  addition  to  a  frigate,  three 
sloops  of  war  and  some  smaller  vessels,  with  a  large  British 
force  carrying  1200  men,  have  ever  since  been  cruising 
here.  If  they  could  not  suppress  piracy  with  all  their 
means  in  so  long  a  time,  with  what  justice  can  the  inquiry 
be  made,  why  in  twenty  days  after  my  departure  from  the 
United  States,  the  squadron  of  small  craft  under  my  com- 
mand has  done  so  little. 

It  is  certain,  that  the  force  under  Com.  Porter's  command 
was  wholly  inadequate  for  the  service,  and  the  duty  devolv- 
ing on  officers  and  men  was  very  severe.  They  would  start 
in  open  boats  from  Key  West,  cross  the  gulf,  and  on  their 
return  after  a  month  or  more  of  absence,  would  look  not 
unlike  the  freebooters  they  went  in  pursuit  of.  During 
these  arduous  expeditions,  there  were  many  exciting  scenes, 
and  never  did  men  display  greater  courage  and  endurance. 
The  conflicts  with  the  pirates  were  frequently  desperate, 
as  the  villains  never  gave  nor  asked  for  quarter,  and  few 
prisoners  were  taken,  as  the  atrocities  committed  on  un- 
armed merchant  vessels  placed  the  freebooters  out  of  the 
pale  of  mercy. 

To  show  the  character  of  the  people  with  whom  our 
sailors  had  to  deal,  the  following  story  of  the  schooner 
Cataliiia,  commanded  by  the  celebrated  pirate,  Diablito, 
may  not  be  uninteresting.  Some  three  months  after 
Commodore  Porter's  arrival,  he  heard  of  some  piracies 
having  been  committed  on  the  south  side  of  Cuba,  and, 
with  his  usual  promptitude,  fitted  out  an  expedition  (to  go 
in  search  of  the  marauders),  consisting  of  the  barges  Gal- 
linipper  and  Musquito  with  thirty-one  officers  and  men 
under  command  of  Lieut.  Watson.  Cruising  in  Seguipa 
37 


290  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

bay  (a  noted  place  for  pirates),  the  barges  discovered  a 
large  two  topsail  schooner  in  company  with  a  launch 
working  up  to  an  anchorage,  where  a  number  of  merchant 
vessels  were  lying.  As  the  schooner's  decks  were  filled 
with  men,  and  she  was  armed  with  guns,  it  was  quite 
evident  that  she  was  a  pirate ;  and  Lieut.  Watson,  there- 
upon, hoisted  the  American  flag  and  steered  towards  her, 
when  the  pirate  hoisted  the  Spanish  ensign  and  opened 
fire.  Both  barges  now  ran  down  with  the  intention  of 
boarding,  which,  as  the  schooner  had  brailed  up  her  fore- 
sail, there  seemed  every  prospect  of  doing.  To  avoid  this 
the  pirates  made  sail  again,  and  as  both  their  vessels  were 
fast,  it  was  feared  that  they  would  escape.  The  barges,  how- 
ever, compelled  the  launch  and  schooner  to  run  in  shore, 
where  they  anchored  with  springs  on  their  cables  and  pre- 
pared to  meet  the  Americans.  As  the  barges  closed, 
the  schooner  opened  on  them  from  her  long  gun,  loaded 
with  grape,  but  fortunately  did  no  damage.  The  pirates 
then  opened  a  rapid  fire  w^ith  small  arms ;  but,  although 
the  balls  flew  thick,  no  one  in  the  barges  was  injured. 
The  sailors  then  boarded  with  a  cheer  and  the  watchword 
Allen,  the  name  of  a  young  officer  who  was  killed  a  few 
months  before  by  the  pirates.  The  freebooters  now  jumped 
overboard,  and  sought  to  swim  to  the  shore,  but  were  pur- 
sued by  the  barges,  and  an  indiscriminate  slaughter  of  the 
villains  took  place.  The  launch,  in  the  meanwhile,  kept 
up  a  fire,  but  she  was  boarded  and  her  men  also  sought  safety 
in  the  water.  Few  that  were  overtaken  in  the  water  were 
spared,  and  all  that  succeeded  in  getting  on  shore  were 
captured,  so  that  out  of  75  or  80  men,  which  composed  the 
crews  of  the  pirate  vessels,  not  a  single  one  escaped,  and 
the  greater  part  were  sent  to  eternity  in  less  than  half  an 
hour,  a  fit  ending  for  such  wretches.  The  captives  were 
turned  over  to  the  local  authorities,  to  be  punished  accord- 
ing to  Spanish  law,  and  it  is  probable  they  soon  regained 
their  freedom,  and  continued  their  old  mode  of  life. 

The  captain  of  these  pirates,  Diablito,  had  not  long  be- 
fore stolen  or  captured  this  schooner  from  the  Spaniards, 
and  mounted  on  her  one  long  nine  pounder  and  three 
sixes,  a  formidable  battery  for  a  vessel  of  her  class.  Had 
she  not  been  taken,  she  would  have  done  incalculable  mis- 


Memoik  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         291 

chief,  but  this  was  her  first  cruize,  and  she  never  had  an 
opportunity  to  make  a  capture.  Seiior  Diablito,  refusing 
to  surrender,  was  killed  in  the  water,  and  thus  terminated 
the  career  of  one  of  the  most  notorious  and  dangerous 
pirates  that  infested  those  seas.  This  gallant  affair  (where 
a  victory  was  gained  against  such  overwhelming  odds), 
was  the  more  remarkable,  as  not  a  single  one  of  our  men 
was  even  wounded. 

The  Catalina  wks  about  the  last  of  the  pirate  vessels  of 
any  note  that  was  heard  of.  Our  forces  had  been  so 
active,  that  their  occupation  was  pretty  much  gone. 
What  few  pirates  still  hung  around  the  coast,  contented 
themselves  with  small  plunder,  watching  for  some  mer- 
chant vessel  that  might  get  becalmed  near  the  shore. 
Excluded  from  the  ocean,  they  transferred  their  opera- 
tions to  the  land;  large  bodies  of  pirates,  well  mounted, 
and  armed,  set  to  work  plundering  the  inhabitants  of 
Cuba  principally  in  the  neighborhood  of  Matanzas.  The 
Spanish  government  was  now  obliged  to  take  some  ac- 
tion, and  bodies  of  troops  were  sent  to  scour  the  country. 
It  was  evident  that  if  the  pirates  were  hemmed  in  much 
longer,  by  Commodere  Porter's  forces,  that  the  Spaniards 
would,  in  self  defense,  be  forced  to  exterminate  them. 
This  was  the  only  way  in  which  the  Spanish  authorities 
could  be  made  to  act.  They  were  too  indolent  to  take 
any  part  in  putting  down  piracy,  until  it  came  directly 
home  to  them,  caring  little  or  nothing  about  it,  so  long  as 
it  only  affected  foreigners. 

About  the  time  that  the  pirates  seemed  to  have  deserted 
the  ocean,  yellow  fever  broke  out  in  an  alarming  degree 
at  Key  West.  Among  the  many  valuable  lives  that  were 
lost,  was  that  of  Lieut.  Watson,  the  conqueror  of  Diablito. 
The  Commodore  was  himself  attacked  by  the  disease,  and 
for  many  days  his  hfe  was  despaired  of.  The  vessels 
of  the  squadron  were  obliged  to  go  to  Key  West  to  refit 
and  obtain  supplies,  and  although  they  were  hurried  off 
with  all  dispatch,  the  fever  broke  out  on  board  and  they 
were  obliged  to  return  to  port;  still  a  sufficient  force  was 
kept  cruising  to  overawe  the  pirates,  and  prevent  their 
resuming  their  former  sway. 

So  far,  the  Spanish  authorities  had  given  every  mani- 


292  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

festation  of  their  desire  that  piracy  should  be  put  down, 
although  they  had  taken  no  trouble  to  help  in  the  good 
work,  though  the  captain  general  of  Cuba  (Vives),  in  re- 
sponse to  the  requests  and  representations  of  Commodore 
Porter,  had  issued  orders  to  all  under  his  command,  to 
aftbrd  the  Commodore  every  facility  to  enable  him  to  carry 
out  his  instructions. 

Mr.  Thompson  had  been  succeeded  in  the  office  of 
secretary  of  the  navy,  on  the  9th  of  December,  1823,  by 
Samuel  L.  Southard  of  IS'ew  Jersey.  During  Mr.  Thomp- 
son's term  of  office,  Commodore  Porter's  conduct  met  with 
his  warm  approbation,  and  the  secretary  did  all  in  his 
power  to  enable  him  to  carry  out  his  plans,  so  far  as  the 
appropriations  of  congress  would  allow. 

As  soon  as  the  Commodore  learned  of  the  yellow  fever 
having  broken  out  at  Key  West,  he  repaired  at  once  to  that 
place,  at  the  same  instant  dispatching  the  following  com- 
munication to  the  secretary  of  the  navy. 

Sea  Gull,  Matanzas,  May  28,  1824. 
Sir :  I  regret  to  be  under  the  necessity  of  informing  you,  that 
the  fever  has  made  its  appearance  on  the  island,  and  that  the  ina- 
bility of  the  acting  surgeon's  mate,  in  charge  of  the  Medical  Depart- 
ment there,  to  attend  to  his  duty  from  sickness,  renders  his  return 
to  the  north  necessary.  I  have  sent  another  to  take  his  place,  but 
this  leaves  us  deplorably  off  for  medical  men. 

I  propose  moving  the  principal  part  of  the  forces  north,  about  the 
middle  of  next  month,  as  the  only  means  of  guarding  against  the 
consequence  of  a  deficiency  of  surgeons. 

I  have  the  honor  &c., 

D.  Porter. 

On  his  arrival  at  Key  West,  Commodore  Porter  was 
attacked  by  the  yellow  fever,  from  which  he  narrowly 
escaped  with  his  life,  and  as  soon  as  he  began  to  convalesce 
(being  entirely  helpless  and  unfit  for  duty),  the  ^medical 
officers  recommended  him  to  proceed  north,  and  accord- 
ingly, after  making  what  he  considered  a  judicious  dis- 
position of  his  forces,  he  left  the  squadron  under  the  com- 
mand of  the  next  senior  officer,  and  on  the  15th  of  June, 
1824,  departed  in  the  steam  galliot  Sea  Gull.  Lieut. 
Legare  sailed  in  the  schooner  Wild  Cat  with  the  dispatch  of 
May  28th  (we  have  quoted),  on  the  29th  of  May,  but  the  Sea 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         293 

Gull  reached  Washington  before  her,  so  that  the  secretary  of 
the  navy  did  not  receive  the  letter  of  May  28th,  until  June 
24th  after  the  arrival  of  Commodore  Porter  had  been  an- 
nounced. Mr.  Southard  had  been  but  five  months  in 
office,  and  having  never  before  had  anything  to  do  with 
naval  affairs,  it  was  impossible  that  he  should  be  familiar 
with  them  in  so  short  a  space  of  time ;  and  although  au 
able  statesman  he  had  not  so  high  a  sense  of  the  considera- 
tion due  to  an  officer  of  rank  as  some  of  his  predecessors. 
This  will  appear  in  the  sequel. 

On  reaching  the  capital,  Commodore  Porter  made  the 
following  report  to  the  secretary. 

Washington,  June  25,  1824. 

Sir  :  I  have  the  honor  to  inform  you,  that  I  arrived  here  yester- 
day, in  the  Sea  Gull,  from  the  coast  of  Cuba  in  nine  days,  and  shall 
be  prepared  to  return  to  the  West  Indies  so  soon  as  the  season  will 
render  it  safe  to  do  so,  and  my  health,  which  requires  a  respite  from 
the  effects  of  a  tropical  climate,  will  admit.  My  former  communitja- 
tions  have  apprised  you  of  my  intention  of  removing  most  of  the 
vessels  under  my  command  to  the  north,  during  the  unhealthy  season. 
Orders  have  been  given  by  me  on  the  subject,  and  every  arrange- 
ment made  to  give  as  much  protection  to  our  commerce  as  the  force 
remaining  on  the  station  will  admit  of.  I  had  purposed  sailing  from 
New  York  and  visiting,  on  my  way  out,  as  heretofore,  the  Wind- 
ward islands,  so  soon  as  I  can  get  a  sufficient  force  together,  and 
leaving  a  small  detachment  in  the  neighborhood  of  St.  Thomas,  for 
the  protection  of  our  commerce  there,  where  it  was  asked  for  by  our 
merchants,  when  I  last  visited  that  place. 

The  John  Adams,  it  is  probable,  will  require  breaking  out  on  her 
return,  which  will  be  in  a  week  or  two,  which  will  leave  me  with 
only  one  sloop  of  war. 

As  the  health  of  Capt.  Wilkinson  requires  his  return,  I  have  left 
Lieut.  Oellers  in  command  at  Thompson's  island,  with  full  instruc- 
tions as  to  the  duties  to  be  performed  there,  and  I  have  also  left  all 
necessary  orders  for  the  commanders  as  circumstances  may  arise 
there  during  my  absence. 

The  island  promises  to  be  healthy  this  winter.  I  have  left  about 
sixty  officers  and  men  there,  but  I  am  sorry  to  say  I  have  only  a 
surgeon's  mate  to  leave  to  attend  them  during  the  sickly  season.  I 
have,  during  this  season,  greatly  improved  the  comfort  and  condi- 
tion of  the  island,  and  thereby  lessened  that  repugnance  to  remain- 
ing there  which  formerly  existed,  both  among  the  officers  and  men. 
I  shall  proceed  to  New  York  in  a  few  days  to  hasten  the  dispatch  of 


294  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

the  stores  for  the  squadron  aad  the  island,  which  are  now  preparing 
there ;  and  which  are  much  required.  If  there  are  any  instructions 
from  the  Department  affecting  my  various  duties  I  shall  be  happy 
to  be  furnished  with  them  as  soon  as  possible. 

I  have  the  honor  &c., 

D.  Porter. 
Honorable  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

By  reference  to  various  letters  written  by  Commodore 
Porter  about  this  time,  it  will  appear  that  he  was  urging 
the  department  to  send  him  medical  officers,  stores,  and 
equipments,  to  enable  him  to  do  what  was  required ;  and 
it  will  be  seen  by  the  above  letter  that  he  could  only  leave 
a  surgeon's  mate  at  Key  West,  and  the  stores  and  provi- 
sions, though  promised,  had  not  reached  Key  West  when 
he  left.  The  crews  of  the  Shark,  Grampus,  and  Spark,  had 
been  much  reduced  by  fever ;  and  as  the  vessels  were  not 
in  condition  for  service  the  Commodore  had  ordered  them 
north. 

Although  the  department  had  been  fully  apprised  of  the 
sickly  condition  of  the  squadron,  no  steps  had  been  taken 
to  render  aid  by  fitting  out  other  vessels,  which  omission 
we  must  attribute  to  a  want  of  knowledge  (on  the  part  of 
Mr.  Southard),  of  the  naval  necessities. 

It  must  be  observed,  that  no  fault  had  been  found  with 
Commodore  Porter  for  his  return  home.  Considering 
Norfolk  within  the  limits  of  his  command  he  thought  that 
he  could,  for  a  short  time,  conduct  the  operations  of  his 
squadron  from  that  point,  just  as  well  as  from  any  other, 
Key  West  being  240  miles  nearer  I^orfolk  than  to  Porto 
Rico  on  a  direct  line,  and  660  miles  nearer  if  he  had  to  go 
around  Cape  Antonia,  as  was  the  custom  before  the  days 
of  steam. 

Commodore  Porter  had  no  sooner  arrived  in  Washing*- 
ton,  than  several  piracies  took  place  under  circumstances 
that  could  not  have  been  prevented  had  he  been  present, 
and  the  secretary  of  the  navy  received  a  number  of  com- 
munications, stating  that  more  protection  to  our  commerce 
was  required.  Mr.  Secretary  Southard,  thereupon,  drew 
the  Commodore's  attention  to  these  complaints,  which 
seemed  to  ignore  the  fact,  that  he  was  doing  his  ut- 
.  most  to  get  the  vessels,  under  his  command,  back  to  their 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         295 

stations.  He  had  sent  three  schooners  to  Tampico,  in 
answer  to  applications  from  merchants  at  that  point,  and 
it  was  quite  evident  to  him  that  the  honorable  secretary 
did  not  comprehend  the  difficulties  of  the  situation,  possi- 
bly thinking,  that  when  a  vessel  was  wanted  at  a  particu- 
lar place  she  must  proceed  at  once,  regardless  of  wind  or 
weather.  In  short,  he  had  about  as  much  idea  what  pre- 
parations were  required,  under  certain  circumstances,  as 
any  other  civilian  just  inducted  into  the  department  would 
have  had.  To  relieve  the  government,  and  the  party  of 
any  odium,  it  was  found  convenient  to  throw  the  censure 
for  any  short  comings  upon  the  navy. 

The  blame  for  these  piracies  lay,  principally,  in  the  par- 
simonious conduct  of  the  merchants  (who  should  have  fur- 
nished their  vessels  with  a  swivel  and  a  few  muskets),  and 
the  want  of  courage  in  the  captains.  To  show  that  this  was 
the  case,  we  will  mention  an  instance  where  one  vessel 
was  boarded  by  a  boat  containing  seven  men,  who  put  the 
entire  crew  below  after  beating  them,  and  then  plundered 
the  ship,  and  fled  to  the  shore  without  opposition. 

To  hold  Commodore  Porter  responsible  for  all  these 
depredations,  must  have  been  about  as  reasonable  as  to 
hold  the  ]N"ew  York  chief  of  police  responsible  for  all  the 
river  thieves  in  that  quarter.  The  Commodore  quietly  dis- 
poses of  the  charges  of  the  West  India  merchant,  who 
stated  that  there  were  no  naval  vessels  at  all  on  the  north 
side  of  Cuba,  in  the  following  letter  to  the  secretary : 

"  I  have  taken  the  liberty  of  enclosing  to  you,  reports  from  Lieut. 
Mclntoch,  the  commandant  of  Thompson's  island,  by  which  you 
will  perceive  that  every  vigilance  has  been  exercised  by  him  in  en- 
deavoring to  recapture  the  vessels  taken,  and  to  punish  the  offenders  ; 
that  at  the  very  time  Wm.  Norris  states  that  no  United  States  ves- 
sels were  on  the  north  side  of  Cuba,  the  Terrier,  Lieut.  Paine,  and  the 
Diablito  were  cruising  there,  and  I  have  also  to  state  that  the  Ferret, 
Lieut,  Farragut,  was  on  that  coast,  and  had  been  daily  (until  a  few 
days  previous)  employed  in  giving  convoy  in  and  out  of  the  harbor, 
sometimes  with  his  vessel,  sometimes  with  his  boats.  I  have  further 
to  state,  that  the  corvette  John  Adams,  brig  Spark,  schooner  Gram- 
pus, the  Jackall,  Weasel,  and  the  Beagle  have  a  short  time  since 
the  receipt  of  Mr.  Norris'  letter,  all  visited  the  coasts  of  Cuba,  zeal- 
ously employed  in  the  protection  of  our  commerce,  in  the  performance 


296  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

of  whicli  duty  I  regret  to  say  that  Lieuts.  Montgomery  and  Gumming 
and  several  others  have  died.  ******* 
There  is,  at  this  time,  on  the  Coast  of  Cuba  and  on  their  way  there, 
the  ships  Hornet  and  Decoy,  the  schooners  Shark,  Wild  Cat,  and 
Terrier,  and  six  barges,  and  in  a  short  time  the  force  will  be  aug- 
mented by  the  departure  of  others  of  the  schooners,  large  and  small. 
The  charge  then,  or  intimation  in  any  shape,  of  neglect  (on  the  part 
of  myself  or  officers),  to  the  interest  of  the  merchants,  who  have  no 
feeling  but  for  their  own  pecuniary  concerns,  is  as  you  perceive  un- 
founded." 

ISTotwithstanding  Secretary  Southard's  complaining  let- 
ters, when  he  knew,  or  should  have  known,  that  Commo- 
dore Porter  was  making  every  exertion  to  fit  out,  and 
despatch  his  vessels,  he  made  a  report  to  the  president 
Dec.  1,  1824,  of  which  we  give  an  extract :  ^ 

"  The  manner  in  which  the  force  assigned  to  the  protection  of  our 
commerce,  and  the  suppression  of  piracy  in  the  West  Indies,  has 
been  employed  will  be  seen  by  the  annexed  letters  and  reports  of 
Commodore  Porter  marked  "  C."  The  activity,  zeal  and  enterprise 
of  our  officers  have  continued  to  command  approbation.  All  the 
vessels  have  been  kept  uniformly  and  busily  employed  where  the  dan- 
ger was  believed  to  be  greatest,  except  for  short  periods  when  the 
commander  supposed  it  necessary  that  they  should  return  to  the 
United  States  to  receive  provisions,  repairs  and  men,  and  for  other 
objects  essential  to  their  health,  comfort  and  efficiency.  No  com- 
plaints have  reached  this  department  of  injury  from  privateers  at 
Porto  Rico,  or  other  Spanish  possessions,  nor  have  our  cruisers  found 
any  violating  our  rights.  A  few  small  piratical  vessels  and  boats 
have  been  taken,  and  establishments  broken  up,  and  much  salutary 
protection  afforded  to  our  commerce.  The  force  employed  has,  how- 
ever, been  too  small  constantly  to  watch  every  part  of  a  coast  so  ex- 
tensive as  that  of  the  islands  and  shores  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and 
some  piratical  depredations  have,  therefore,  been  committed ;  but 
they  are  of  a  character,  though,  perhaps,  not  less  bloody  and  fatal  to 
the  sufferers,  yet  differing  widely  from  those  which  first  excited  the 
sympathy  of  the  public,  and  exertions  of  the  government." 

Up  to  the  time  of  his  return  to  the  West  Indies,  Com- 
modore Porter  had  every  reason  to  believe  that  the 
government  was  entirely  satisfied  with  his  visit  to  Wash- 
ington. He  had  been  kindly  received  by  the  president, 
who   had   accepted  his   explanations,   and    no   objection 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         297 

had  been  made  by  the  department  at  his  not  immediately 
going  back  to  the  West  Indies,  well  knowing  that  he  could 
manage  his  fleet  better  from  Washington  than  from  some 
distant  portions  of  the  West  Indies.  Com.  Porter  was  con- 
stantly receiving  from  his  officers,  reports  of  operations  of  the 
vessels,  and  the  progress  of  repairs  and  other  preparations 
necessary  to  put  the  squadron  in  an  efficient  condition,  and 
he  was  constantly  employed  in  directing  those  preparations. 
In  short  he  was  unremittingly  engaged  in  the  active  du- 
ties of  his  command,  except  for  a  short  period  when  he 
visited  the  springs  for  his  health.  From  letters,  still  ex- 
tant, it  appears  that  the  government  was  entirely  satisfied 
with  the  Commodore's  continuing  to  exercise  in  WasJiington 
his  command,  in  all  its  departments,  that  all  complaints 
of  piracy  and  other  interruptions  to  our  commerce  were 
communicated  to  him  by  the  department  for  his  action, 
with  a  view  to  his  dispatching  the  necessary  orders  to  his 
subordinates,  and  not  with  an  idea  that  he  should  proceed 
in  person  to  carry  them  out.  His  return  to  the  United 
States,  and  the  reasons  for  it  were  communicated  officially 
to  congress  with  approbation.  Such  were  the  facts  bearing 
on  circumstances  that  occurred  prior  to  his  joining  his 
command  again  in  the  West  Indies. 

On  the  14th  October,  1824,  Secretary  Southard  writes 
to  the  Commodore  as  follows : 

"  Sir :  It  is  deemed  expedient  by  the  Executive,  that  you  proceed 
as  speedily  as  possible  to  your  station,  in  the  John  Adams,  that  by 
your  presence  there  the  most  efficient  protection  may  be  afforded  to 
our  commerce,  and  you  may  be  able  to  meet  any  contingencies  that 
may  occur.  The  Constellation  will  be  fitted  for  sea,  and  sent  to  you 
as  speedily  as  possible. 

I  enclose,  by  order  of  the  President,  an  extract  from  a  letter  lately 
received  from  the  island  of  Cuba.  You  will  consider  it  confidential, 
and  to  be  used  for  your  information,  so  far  as  you  may  find  it  useful. 
With  the  Constellation,  directions  will  be  sent  for  you  to  proceed  to 
the  island  of  Hayti,  there  to  accomplish  certain  objects,  which  will 
be  particularly  explained  to  you,  and  instructions  given.'' 

In  obedience  to  these  orders.  Commodore  Porter  sailed 
for  Key  West,  having,  while  at  the  north,  succeeded  in 
getting  his  squadron  completely  fitted  out,  and  made  suit- 
able arrangements  at  Key  West  in  case  of  future  attacks 

38 


298  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

of  yellow  fever ;  for  the  vessels  having  originally  been  pre- 
pared in  a  great  hurry,  were  deficient  in  many  things  abso- 
lutely necessary. 

While  Secretary  Thompson  was  in  office,  he  wrote  a 
letter  to  Commodore  Porter  under  date  of  August  19, 
1823,  from  which,  as  it  has  an  important  bearing  on  cir- 
cumstances before  referred  to,  we  extract  the  following : 

"  In  the  last  paragraph  of  your  letter  dated  the  first  instant,  trans- 
mitted by  the  U.   S.   schooner   Ferrett,  you  mention   that  circum- , 
stances  will  towards  the  fall  render  your  return  to  the  United  States 
for  a  short  time  necessary. 

"  You  will  please  to  avail  yourself  of  the  time  most  suitable  for  this 
purpose  and  return.to  the  United  States  in  the  manner  most  conve- 
nient to  yourself  and  least  prejudicial  to  the  interests  of  the  service/' 

To  obtain  a  true  understanding  of  the  facts,  competed 
with  Commodore  Porter's  career,  it  has  been  necessary  to 
insert  the  foregoing  portions  of  official  correspondence, 
which,  though  uninteresting  to  the  general  reader,  tend  to 
show  the  animus  which  dictated  the  proceedings  against 
him  on  his  next  return  to  the  United  States. 

He  had  no  sooner  arrived  in  the  West  Indies,  than  owing 
to  the  ill  advised  proceedings  of  one  of  his  officers.  Com. 
Porter  found  himself  involved  in  complications  with  the 
Spanish  authorities. 

It  appears  that  on  the  morning  of  the  26th  of  October, 
Lieut.  Charles  T.  Piatt,  commanding  the  schooner  Beagle, 
was  notified  that  the  store  of  the  American  consul  at  St. 
Thomas  had  been  broken  open  the  preceding  night,  and 
robbed  of  goods  to  the  amount  of  $5,000.  The  consul  re- 
quested Lieut.  Piatt  to  pursue  the  robbers,  who,  it  was 
believed,  had  proceeded  in  a  boat  to  Foxardo,  in  the  island 
of  Porto  Rico,  and  Lieut.  Piatt  immediately  got  under  way 
for  that  place,  capturing  on  the  way  a  piratical  sloop  that 
was  supposed  by  him  to  have  had  some  connection  with 
the  robbery.  The  crew  of  this  vessel  had  abandoned  her, 
when  they  found  it  impossible  otherwise  to  escape,  and 
Lieut.  Piatt  not  finding  the  goods  stood  into  the  harbor  of 
Foxardo.  ISText  morning,  Oct.  27th,  an  invitation  was  sent 
from  the  commandant,  for  Lieut.  Piatt  to  visit  him,  and 
that  officer  accordingly  landed  with  Lieut.  Ritchie,  the 
pilot,  and  the  consul's   clerk,  who  went  to  identify  the 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         299 

stolen  property.  Lieut.  Pi^tt  states  in  his  report,  that  for 
better  success,  the  party  had  put  on  citizen's  clothes,  which 
was  a  grave  error,  as  no  officer  is  called  upon  to  undertake 
duty  of  the  kind,  where,  by  appearing  out  of  uniform,  he 
will  lay  himself  open  to  suspicion.  When  Lieut.  Piatt 
reached  the  shore,  the  register  of  his  vessel  was  demanded, 
when  he  explained  the  object  of  his  visit,  and  the  reason 
of  his  not  wearing  uniform,  but  without  avail,  as  he  was 
not  allowed  to  proceed  to  the  town.  Thinking  how- 
ever, that  the  person  who  detained  him  was  acting  with- 
out authority,  Lieut.  Piatt  went  to  Foxardo  and  satis- 
factorily explained  the  object  of  his  visit  to  the  captain 
of  the  port.  He  then  waited  on  the  alcalde,  who  after 
further  explanations,  proffered  Lieut.  Piatt  his  assistance. 
Having  made  a  few  inquiries  in  some  of  the  stores,  which 
had  a  tendency  to  bring  to  light  any  one  who  might  have 
been  engaged  in  the  traffic  of  stolen  goods,  Lieut.  Piatt  re- 
ceived a  peremptory  order  to  repair  to  the  house  of  the 
alcalde,  where  he  was  received  by  the  captain  of  the 
port,  who  denounced  him  as  a  pirate,  demanding  his 
papers.  Lieut.  Piatt,  to  satisfy  these  people  that  his 
account  of  himself  was  correct,  produced  his  commission, 
which  they  declared  to  be  a  forgery,  and  remanded  him 
and  his  companions  to  prison,  saying  they  would  retain 
them  until  they  could  hear  from  St.  Johns.  Lieut  Piatt 
then  demanded  to  know  what  further  was  required,  and 
was  informed  that  he  must  produce  his  appointment  to 
command  the  vessel,  which  he  finally  did.  A  council  of 
public  officers  and  citizens  was  then  called,  and  after  such 
a  deliberation  as  one  would  suppose  a  party  of  that  kind 
would  hold,  Lieut.  Piatt  and  his  companions  were  released, 
and  permitted  to  rejoin  their  vessel  after  having  had  heaped 
upon  them  the  most  outrageous  abuse.  There  was  nothing 
in  Lieut.  Piatt's  conduct  to  justify  such  treatment,  which 
was  merely  to  enable  these  people  to  get  the  goods  out  of 
the  way  and  avoid  discovery.  This  same  alcalde  had  not 
long  before  received  positive  orders  from  Don  Miguel  de 
la  Torres,  governor  of  Porto  Rico,  to  give  every  aid  to  the 
Americaos,  in  ferreting  out  pirates,  promising  that  those 
who  should  distinguish  themselves  "  should  be  reported  to 
his  majesty  the  king  of  Spain,  giving  to  each  one  justice 
according  to  his  merits." 


800         Memoik  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

As  soon  as  the  report  of  thi^  outrage  reached  Commo- 
dore Porter,  he  was  naturally  very  indignant ;  and  satisfied 
that  the  treatment  of  his  officers  was  a  pretext  to  conceal 
the  connection  of  the  people  of  Foxardo  with  the  theft 
from  the  consul's  store,  he  considered  them  no  better  than 
pirates.  His  officers  had,  on  other  occasions,  been  treated 
with  indignity,  and  this  last  outrage  was  more  than  he 
could  bear.  Mr.  Southard  also  had  covertly  found  fault 
with  him  and  his  officers,  for  not  putting  a  stop  to  these 
nefarious  transactions,  and  public  opinion  at  home,  in 
view  of  all  the  inconveniences  to  which  American  com- 
merce had  been  subjected,  seemed  to  incline  to  prompt 
measures  against  the  Spaniards,  in  vindication  of  Ameri- 
can rights.  From  the  commencement  of  the  South 
American  revolutions,  the  Spaniards  had  oppressed  our 
commerce  with  illegal  blockades,  to  which  the  United 
States  government  had  tamely  submitted,  and  Commo- 
dore Porter  thought  that  a  good  opportunity  had  now 
arrived,  to  show  the  Spaniards  that  their  arbitrary  pro- 
ceedings would  no  longer  be  tolerated.  The  instructions 
which  he  had  received  from  Secretary  Thompson,  not 
only  justified  prompt  measures,  but  pointed  out  to  him  the 
way  in  which  they  should  be  taken. 

"  In  the  case  of  belligerents,  where  the  army  of  one  party 
enters  the  country  of  a  neutral  power,  the  army  of  the 
other  has  a  right  to  follow  it  there.  In  the  case  ofpii^ates, 
the  right  of  the  armed  force  of  one  power  to  follow  them 
into  the  territory  of  another  is  more  complete.  In  regard 
to  pirates,  there  is  no  neutral  party;  they  being  the  ene-- 
mies  of  the  human  race,  all  nations  are  parties  against 
them  and  may  be  considered  as  allies"  As  a  further 
justification,  Commodore  Porter  had  received  information 
from  Mr.  Cabot,  our  consul  at  St.  Thomas,  that  John 
Campus,  a  man  of  wealth  and  consequence  in  Foxardo,  was 
the  actual  receiver  of  the  stolen  goods,  and  that  he  and  the 
alcalde  were  accessory  to  all  the  villainy  that  had  been 
committed  in  St.  Thomas. 

The  Commodore  having  made  up  his  mind  what  to  do, 
proceeded  to  Passage  island,  with  the  John  Adan>s,  Gram- 
pus and  Beagle.  Thence,  with  the  two  schooners  and  the 
boats  of  the  John  Adams,  with  Captain  Dallas  and  part  of 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         301 

his  officers,  seamen  and  marines,  he  repaired  to  Foxardo. 
On  entering  the  port,  he  found  his  visit  had  been  anticipated, 
and  that  the  batteries  were  manned  to  fire  on  him,  and  accord- 
ingly he  sent  a  party  of  seamen  and  marines  on  shore,  who 
spiked  the  guns,  the  Spaniards  having  fled  at  their  approach. 

Com.  Porter  then  landed  in  person,  and  advanced  upon 
the  town,  spiking  on  the  way  a  small  battery  placed  for 
the  defense  of  a  pass  in  the  road,  and  reached  Foxardo  in 
about  thirty  minutes.  He  found  the  Spaniards  drawn  up 
outside  of  the  town,  and  advancing  his  men  to  within  pistol 
shot,  the  Commodore  sent  forward  a  flag  of  truce,  requir- 
ing the  alcalde,  captain  of  the  port  and  other  principal 
offenders,  to  come  forward  and  make  atonement  for  the 
outrages  they  had  heaped  upon  an  American  officer,  and 
giving  them  one  hour  to  deliberate.  The  offenders  ac- 
cordingly appeared,  and  begged  pardon  of  Lieut.  Piatt  in 
the  presence  of  all  the  officers  and  men,  and  promised  to 
respect  all  American  officers  who  might  thereafter  visit 
them.  The  Commodore  then  returned  to  his  vessels  and 
left  the  harbor,  after  a  stay  of  only  three  hours.  As  the 
vessels  were  getting  under  way  several  persons  appeared  on 
the  beach,  under  a  white  flag,  having  with  them  some  bul- 
locks and  a  number  of  horses,  the  latter  apparently  laden  with 
presents  from  the  authorities,  which  were  not  waited  for. 

In  answer  to  his  report  of  this  affair,  dated  l^ov,  15, 
1824,  and  forwarded  to  the  department  as  soon  as  circum- 
stances would  admit,  Commodore  Porter  received  the 
following : 

Navy  Department,  27th  December,  1824. 

Sir:  Your  letter,  of  the  15th  of  November  last,  relating  to  the 
extraordinary  transactions  at  Foxardo,  in  the  island  of  Porto  Rico, 
on  the day  of  that  month,  has  been  received  and  considered. 

It  is  not  intended,  at  this  time,  to  pronounce  an  opinion  on  the 
propriety  of  those  transactions,  on  your  part,  but  their  importance 
demands  for  them  a  full  investigation,  and  you  will  proceed  without 
unnecessary  delay  to  this  place,  to  furnish  such  explanations  as  may 
be  required,  of  every  thing  connected  with  their  cause,  origin,  pro- 
gress, and  termination.  For  that  purpose,  you  will  bring  with  you 
those  officers  whose  testimony  is  necessary,  particularly  Lieut.  Piatt, 
and  such  written  evidence  as  you  may  suppose  useful. 

You  will  return  in  such  convenient  vessel  as  may  be  best  spared 
from  the  squadron,  and  on  your  leaving  the  station,  you  will  deliver 


302         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

the  command  to  Captain  Warrington,  with  all  such  papers,  instructions 
and  information  as  will  enable  him  in  the  most  effectual  manner  to 
accomplish  all  the  objects  for  which  the  vessels  now  under  your 
command  were  placed  there. 

I  am  very  respectfully, 
Commodore  David  Porter,  Samuel  L.  Southard. 

Commanding  U.  S.  Naval  Forces, 
W.  Indies,  Gulf  of  Mexico,  &c. 

This  letter  was  worthy  of  an  ordinary  person  suddenly 
elevated  to  high  position,  and  invested  with  authority 
which  he  did  not  know  how  to  use,  but  was  unworthy 
of  agentleman  of  the  talents  and  reputation  of  Mr.  Southard. 
It  showed  that  there  was  something  behind  the  scenes,  and 
that  the  honorable  secretary  had  jumped  to  conclusions, 
without  taking  time  to  examine  the  record.  He  certainly 
was  ignorant  of  the  instructions  given  Commodore  Porter 
by  his  predecessor,  Mr.  Thompson,  or  he  would  have  ex- 
tended more  courtesy  to  a  gallant  and  distinguished  officer; 
for,  although  an  officer  cannot  claim  exemption  from  re- 
sponsibility on  the  ground  of  former  services,  there  was  a 
certain  propriety  to  be  observed,  in  dealing  with  one  who, 
from  his  youth  up,  had  devoted  himself  to  the  service  of 
his  country,  and  in  the  late  war  performed  services  equalled 
by  few,  and  had  done  more  damage  to  the  commerce  of  the 
enemy  than  all  the  rest  of  the  navy  combined.  An  officer 
whose  career  had  been  so  brilliant,  that  thousands  of  his 
countrymen  had  testified  their  enthusiastic  approbation,  in 
a  manner  seldom  witnessed  —  who  had  held  a  position  in 
the  administration  of  the  navy,  only  second  to  that  of  the 
secretary  himself,  and  brought  it  from  chaos  into  real 
shape  and  permanent  existence.  His  brilliant  achieve- 
ments even  drew  forth  the  admiration  of  his  enemies,  and 
the  celebrated  William  Cobbett  wrote  to  him,  "  wishing 
him  success  in  giving  power  to  freedom,  to  struggle  against 
and  overcome  despotism,"  and  though  Cobbett  was  an 
enemy  to  oppression,  he  was  an  Englishman  and  loved  his 
country. 

"We  must  consider  the  secretary's  conduct,  as  a  piece  of 
irascibility,  wholly  unwarranted,  and  an  exercise  of  arbi- 
trary power  towards  a  distinguished  officer,  which  could 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  303 

only  proceed  from  one,  who  at  the  time,  knew  nothing  of 
the  courtesies  due  to  members  of  the  naval  service. 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind,  that  for  many  previous  aggres- 
sions on  the  part  of  the  Spanish  authorities,  our  government 
could  obtain  no  redress,  and  the  president  in  his  message 
to  congress  on  the  2d  December,  1823,  had  made  use  of 
the  following  language : 

"  Although  our  expedition  has  almost  entirely  destroyed  the  un- 
licensed pirates  from  the  island  of  Cuba,  the  success  of  our  exertions 
has  not  been  equally  effectual  to  suppress  the  same  crime,  under  other 
pretenses  and  colors  in  the  neighboring  island  of  Porto  Rico.  They 
have  been  committed  there,  under  the  abusive  use  of  Spanish  com- 
missions. At  an  early  period  of  the  present  year,  remonstrances 
were  made  to  the  governor  of  that  island,  by  an  agent  who  was  sent 
for  the  purpose,  against  their  outrages  on  the  peaceful  commerce  of 
the  United  States,  of  which  many  have  occurred.  That  officer,  pro- 
fessing his  own  want  of  authority  to  make  satisfaction  for  our  just 
complaints,  answered  only  by  a  reference  of  them  to  the  government 
of  Spain.  The  minister  of  the  United  States,  to  that  Court,  was 
specially  instructed  to  urge  the  necessity  of  that  government  direct- 
ing restitution,  and  indemnity  for  wrongs  already  committed,  and 
interdicting  the  repetition  of  them.  The  minister,  as  has  been  seen, 
was  debarred  access  to  the  Spanish  government,  and  in  the  meantime 
several  new  cases  of  flagrant  outrage  have  occurred,  and  citizens  of 
the  United  States  in  the  island  of  Porto  Rico  have  suffered,  and 
others  have  been  threatened  with  assassination,  for  asserting  their 
unquestionable  rights,  even  before  the  lawful  tribunals  of  the  coun- 
try." 

What  other  course  ought  a  country  to  pursue  under  such 
circumstances  but  to  make  instant  war  ?  It  remains  to 
this  day,  a  blot  on  our  escutcheon,  that  our  government 
acted  with  such  indecision  and  feebleness,  when  the  Spanish 
heel  was  grinding  our  citizens  into  the  dust,  yet  showed 
such  promptness  in  degrading  a  gallant  officer,  for  resenting 
on  the  spot,  a  gross  insult  to  our  flag.  A  hundred  argu- 
ments might  be  brought  forward  to  prove  the  inconsistency 
of  the  administration,  in  their  conduct  of  this  aflair,  but 
our  limits  will  only  permit  a  few  extracts  of  correspond- 
ence, to  give  a  general  idea  of  matters  and  things ;  and 
these  proceedings  will  exhibit  the  animus  of  those  who  com- 
menced the  persecution  of  the  Commodore  for  upholding 
the  honor  of  his  country. 


304         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

On  his  arrival  in  the  United  States,  Commodore  Porter 
reported  himself  to  the  secretary  of  the  navy,  as  follows : 

Washington,  March  1st,  1825. 
Sir  :  I  have  the  honor  to  inform  you,  that  in  obedience  to  your 
orders,  I  have  come  to  this  place,  and  I  now  await  your  further  orders. 

With  the  greatest  respect, 

Your  obt.  servt., 

D.  Porter. 

The  Commodore  also  wrote  to  the  secretary,  in  reference 
to  certain  charges  brought  against  himself  and  officers,  by 
Messrs.  Randall  and  Mountain,  two  American  merchants, 
and  requesting  an  investigation,  to  which  no  attention  was 
paid.  Finally,  his  patience  becoming  exhausted  at  the 
dilatory  action  of  the  secretary  (after  such  hot  haste  in 
ordering  him  home),  he  wrote  again  to  the  department, 
as  follows : 

Washington,  March  16,  1825. 

Sir :  It  is  now  sixteen  days  since  I  had  the  honor  to  report  to 
you  my  arrival  here,  in  obedience  to  your  order  of  the  27th  of 
December,  and  I  have  anxiously  since,  waited  your  further  instruc- 
tions. 

I  am  aware.  Sir,  of  the  interruption  the  recent  changes  in 
government  have  occasioned  to  the  transaction  of  public  business, 
and  however  awkward  and  uncertain  may  be  my  present  situation, 
and  whatever  anxiety  I  may  feel  on  the  occasion,  it  is  not  my 
wish  to  press  on  the  department  my  own  affairs,  in  preference 
to  those  of  greater  importance.  I  cannot  however,  help  re- 
questing, there  may  be  as  little  delay  in  the  investigation  of  my 
conduct,  both  as  regards  the  affair  of  Foxardo,  and  the  statement 
of  Mr.  Randall  and  Mr.  Mountain,  as  is  consistent  with  the  public 
interest;  the  state  of  ignorance  and  uncertainty  in  which  I  have 
been  kept  as  to  the  intentions  of  the  government,  and  the  desire  of 
vindicating  myself  to  the  government  and  the  public,  and  relieving 
myself  from  a  species  of  suspension,  and  supposed  condemnation, 
must  be  my  apology  for  now  troubling  you. 

Officers  continue  to  make  their  reports,  and  to  request  of  me 
orders,  not  knowing  whether  the  department  still  considers  me  in 
command  of  the  West  India  squadron,  I  have  been  at  a  loss  to  know 
how  to  act,  will  you  please  instruct  me  ? 

I  have  the  honor  &c.. 
Honorable  Samuel  L.  Southard.  D.  Porter. 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         305 

This  brought  a  curt  reply  from  the  department,  which 
may  have  been  the  official  style  of  fifty  years  ago,  in  ad- 
dressing an  honored  servant  of  the  republic,  after  sum-  ' 
moning  him  in  great  haste  to  give  explanations,  and  then 
keeping  him  for  more  than  afortnight  without  taking  notice 
ofhim,but  it  certainly  was  not  diplomatic  courtesy;  and  if  we 
judge  individuals  by  their  written  style,  the  then  secretary  of 
the  navy  would  have  been  found  wanting  in  some  of  the  essen- 
tials for  that  high  office,  which  presides  over  a  body  of 
men  distinguished  for  their  courtesy  and  mental  culture, 
and  who  can  never  be  made  to  comprehend  how  so  little 
attention  can  be  paid  to  their  rights,  as  to  place  their  des- 
tinies in  the  hands  of  one  who  has  no  feeling  in  com- 
mon with  them. 

Navy  Department,  March  16,  1825. 
Sir :  It  has  become  my  duty  to  apprise  you  of  the  determination 
of  the  Executive,  that  a  Court  of  Inquiry  be  formed,  as  soon  as  cir- 
cumstances will  permit,  to  examine  into  the  occurrence  at  Foxardo, 
which  was  the  occasion  of  your  recall,  and  also  to  comply  with  the 
request  contained  in  your  letter  of  the  2d  inst.  It  was  the  intention 
of  the  Department,  in  ordering  Captain  Warrington  to  the  West 
Indies,  to  relieve  you  from  the  command  of  the  squadron  there. 

I  am  respectfully  Yours, 
Samuel  L.  Southard. 
Commodore  David  Porter,  U.  S.  N. 

Comment  on  such  a  letter  is  unnecessary.  It  confirms 
the  opinion,  that  an  opportunity  was  seized  to  recall  the 
Commodore ;  and  to  justify  himself  before  the  country,  the 
secretary  was  obliged  to  try  him,  trusting  to  circumstances 
to  make  out  a  case  against  him. 

In  the  synopsis  of  the  voluminous  trial,  which  is  all  that 
we  can  find  space  to  give,  the  reader  will,  we  think,  be 
convinced  that  Commodore  Porter,  at  Foxardo,  acted 
strictly  according  to  his  instructions. 


39 


306  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 


Anecdotes  of  the  Cruise. 

The  Coinmodore,  by  permission  of  the  secretary  of  the 
navy,  took  his  family  with  him  to  the  "West  Indies,  on  his 
second  visit  in  the  John  Adams,  although  his  principles 
were  averse  to  having  women  on  shipboard,  on  account  of 
the  trouble  they  caused.  The  pretty  chambermaids  in 
particular  became  involved  in  all  sorts  of  difficulties  with 
the  officers,  the  highest  of  whom  were  not  proof  against 
their  attractions. 

At  Jamaica,  the  Commodore  was  invited  to  stay  with 
his  family  on  shore,  at  the  house  of  the  governor,  but  had 
to  leave  the  servants  on  shipboard  they  not  being  expected. 
During  the  ten  days  the  Commodore  and  family  were  on 
shore,  the  fair  damsels  held  receptions  in  the  cabin,  and 
the  officers,  to  while  away  the  time,  visited  them  there. 

Among  others  Commander  F ,  the  flag  captain,  who 

was  a  privileged  character,  used  to  spend  a  good  deal  of 
time  in  the  cabin,  and  one  day  in  attempting  to  kiss  one 
of  the  young  women,  she  broke  a  valuable  flute  over  his 
head  and  left  the  pieces  lying  on  the  cabin  floor.  On  his 
return  to  the  ship,  the  Commodore  saw  the  fragments  of 
the  flute,  and  asked  the  girls  how  it  got  broken.  "  I  did 
it,  sir,  said  one,  and  ye  should  take  your  fleet  captain  on 
shore  with  ye,  and  not  leave  him  behind  to  be  kissing  us 
girls,  an  ill  mannered  man  as  he  is."  The  Commodore 
saw  how  the  matter  stood,  and  spoke  to  Captain  Dallas 

about  it,  saying  "  that  he  thought  F might  have 

paid  a  little  more  respect  to  his  cabin,"  and  added  "  I  wish 
you  would  give  him  a  hint  to  that  effect." 

F was  a  vain,  elegant  looking  man,  and  was  furious 

when  he  received  the  Commodore's  message,  and,  putting 
on  his  cap,  marched  on  deck  where  the  latter  was  standing, 
and  passed  him  without  the  customary  salute,  at  the  same 
time  looking  very  sulky  and  disrespectful.  Just  then 
Captain  Dallas  approached  the  Commodore,  and  com- 
mented  on   F 's  behavior.     "  Tell  him,"   said  the 

Commodore,  "  that  if  he  does  not  immediately  apologize, 
I  will  court  martial  him  for  disrespect.  In  the  meantime  he 
will  consider  himself  suspended."     F finally  con- 


Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter.  307 

eluded  to  apologize,  and  called  oq  the  Commodore  in  his 
cabin,  making  the  amende  as  if  he  did  it  rather  from  necessity 

than  choice.     ''  All  right  F ,"  said  the  Commodore, 

"  say  no  more  about  it.  I  didn't  mind  your  kissing  the 
girl,  so  much  as  having  reports  spread,  which  affect  the 
reputation  of  my  chief  of  staff.  The  girl  says,  you  use 
cheap  pomatum  and  wear  ragged  handkercWefs,  and  are 
not  half  so  agreeable  as  the  midshipman  aid,  who  parts 
his  hair  in  the  middle.     The  girls  have  nicknamed  you 

Bullfinch."     F never  forgave  this  sally,  although 

from  motives  of  self  interest,  he  continued  on  the  Com- 
modore's staff  for  the  rest  of  the  cruise. 

On  board  the  John  Adams  was  an  old  boatswain's 
mate  named  Reuben  James,  who  had  saved  Decatur's  life 
at  Tripoli,  and  who  would  occasionally  get  very  drunk,  in 
which  condition  he  was  insubordinate.  Captain  Dallas 
became  tired  of  the  old  sailor's  pranks,  and  determined  to 
punish  him ;  and  one  day,  after  the  boatswain's  mate  had 
indulged  in  a  frolic,  all  hands  were  called  to  witness 
punishment.  Captain  Dallas,  addressing  the  culprit,  said: 
"  Reuben  James,  you  are  a  troublesome  old  rascal,  always 
getting  drunk,  and  I  am  going  to  make  an  example  of 
you.  You  are  herewith  disrated  from  the  position  of  first 
boatswain's  mate  to  that  of  seaman."  "  Thank  you,  sir," 
said  Reuben,  "for  your  high  opinion,  but  if  your  honor 
pleases,  I  was  only  celebrating  the  day  when  I  saved  Cap- 
tain Decatur's  life,  and  I  will  promise  not  to  get  drunk 
again,  except  when  I  go  on  liberty."  "  Who  will  go  your 
security,  sir,"  said  the  captain.  Commodore  Porter,  who 
was  walking  the  quarter  deck,  and  had  overheard  the  con- 
versation, stepped  forward  to  the  mast  and  said :  "  I  will 
go  his  security,  Dallas,  a  man  who  saved  Decatur's  life  is 
entitled  to  get  drunk  occasionally."  So  Reuben  escaped 
punishment,  and  in  the  outburst  of  his  gratitude,  assured 
the  Commodore  that  he  would  do  as  much  for  him  if  the 
opportunity  ever  offered ! 


308  Memoir  op  Commodoke  David  Porteb. 


CHAPTEE  XVIII. 

1  HE  court  of  inquiry,  in  the  case  of  Commodore  Por- 
ter, was  ordered  on  the  19th  of  April,  1825.  The  warrant 
issued,  was  directed  to  Isaac  Chauncey  Esquire,  captain 
in  the  navy,  president ;  Captains  W.  M.  Crane,  and  G.  C. 
Eead,  members ;  and  E.  C.  Coxe,  judge  advocate. 

On  the  2d  of  May,  the  court  met  at  the  "Washington 
navy  yard,  when  Commodore  Porter  interposed  some  ex- 
ceptions to  the  formation  of  it,  and  to  the  terms  of  the 
warrant  under  which  it  was  constituted ;  to  the  former,  as 
being  composed  of  a  majority  of  officers  junior  to  himself, 
and  to  the  latter  as  not  embracing  the  specific  subject  of 
inquiry  which  he  had  requested  to  be  investigated,  for  the 
vindication  of  his  officers  and  himself,  as  indicated  in  his 
letter  of  the  2d  of  March,  and  which  the  secretary  was 
understood  to  have  promised. 

In  the  course  of  discussion  of  these  subjects,  the  court 
took  exception  to  some  written  expression  addressed  to 
them  by  Commodore  Porter,  and  in  order  to  guard  against 
a  repetition  of  what  they  considered  an  offense,  they  issued 
an  order  that  all  future  communications  from  the  Commo- 
dore should  pass  the  inspection  of  the  judge  advocate, 
before  being  submitted  to  the  court.  The  Commodore 
explained,  and  disavowed  in  the  most  unequivocal  and  satis- 
factory manner,  as  he  conceived,  the  construction  put  upon 
the  excepted  passage  of  his  address,  but  the  interdict  of 
direct  intercourse  between  him  and  them  was  not  with- 
drawn, for  which  reason  he  quitted  the  court,  and  during 
the  remainder  of  the  inquiry  had  no  further  concern  in  it. 
He  was,  nevertheless,  allowed  to  have  an  incom.plete  copy 
of  the  proceedings,  but  when  he  applied  to  the  judge 
advocate  for  a  true  copy,  he  was  told  that  the  investigation 
being  then  completed  and  sent  to  the  secretary,  it  was  not 
proper  to  furnish  it ! 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         309 

The  investigation  w^9  completed  on  the  9th  of  May, 
1825,  on  which  day  the  final  report  was  transmitted  to 
Mr.  Southard,  Commodore  Porter  having  offered  neither 
evidence,  explanation  nor  defense.  IsTothing  further  was 
heard  on  the  subject,  until  the  secretary's  letter  of  the 
28th  of  May,  announcing  the  president's  determination  to 
order  a  court  martial. 

In  the  meantime  the  newspapers  had  not  been  idle  in 
discussing  this  matter,  and  imputations,  from  administra- 
tion journals,  were  cast  unsparingly  upon  Commodore 
Porter's  conduct,  until  the  latter,  suffering  from  a  sense  of 
injury,  addressed  a  statement  to  the  president  justifying 
his  conduct.  This  publication  consisted  of  a  voluminous 
mass  of  documents,  with  a  defense  of  his  conduct  in  the 
Foxardo  affair,  with  the  proceedings  of  the  court  of  in- 
quiry, and  such  remarks  thereon  as  he  felt  justified  in 
making;  maintaining,  throughout  the  publication,  an 
entirely  respectful  attitude  to  all  concerned. 

For  want  of  space,  we  must  content  ourselves  with 
giving  the  first  and  concluding  parts  of  the  pamphlet 
which  was  dedicated  to  President  John  Quincy  Adams. 

Defense. 

Having  been  displaced  from  my  command  by  order  of  the  secre- 
tary of  the  navy,  to  furnish  such  explanations  as  may  be  required 
of  every  thing  connected  with  the  cause,  origin,  progress,  and  ter- 
mination of  my  transactions  at  Foxardo,  I  must  refer  to  the  letters 
of  Lieut.  Piatt,  Mr.  Cabot,  and  Mr.  Bergerest,  to  my  letter  to  the 
governor  of  Foxardo,  and  to  my  official  report  to  the  secretary  of 
the  navy,  for  the  progress  and  termination  of  this  affair,  and  to  the 
following  explanations  : 

I  rest  my  justification  on  the  laws  of  nations  and  of  nature,  highly 
approved  precedents,  and  the  orders  of  the  secretary  of  the  navy. 

I  might  stop  here,  with  a  perfect  confidence  of  acquittal,  from  the 
charge  of  rashness  and  indiscretion  in  the  violation  of  the  territorial 
jurisdiction  and  immunities  of  Spain,  or  of  any  disposition  to  offer 
to  that  government  any  indignity  or  insult ;  but,  without  asking  of 
me  explanations,  and  without  complaint  from  Spain  or  any  other 
quarter,  it  has  been  thought  proper  to  anticipate  even  the  resolution 
and  wishes  of  Mr.  Archer  (already  distinguished  for  his  active  hos- 
tility to  me  in  the  trial  of  Lieut.  Kennon).  I  have  been  ordered 
from  my  station  to  explain  the  transactions  at  Foxardo,  which  it  has 
pleased  the  secretary  of  the  navy  to  term  extraordinary. 


310         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

As  I  am  placed  before  Mie  world  as  a  condemned  and  degraded 
officer,  it  is  a  duty  I  owe  to  myself,  as  well  as  the  service  to  which  I 
belong,  and  it  may  be  useful  to  others  to  know,  that  in  all  this  trans- 
action, I  was  acting  in  as  strict  conformity  with  the  letter  and  spirit 
of  my  instructions,  as  the  nature  of  the  case  would  admit  —  that  it 
was  provided  for,  as  near  as  could  be  imagined,  by  the  government, 
and  that  I  have,  in  no  instance,  departed  from  my  instructions,  so 
far  as  I  could,  by  repeated  examinations,  understand  them.  I  have 
perceived  no  obscurity  in  them,  and  complain  of  none.  I  believe  I 
understand  them,  and  the  intentions  of  those  who  drew  them  up, 
and  without  national  or  natural  law  or  precedent,  I  feel  a  confidence 
that  the  responsibility  rests  with  those  who  framed  them. 

I  do  not  wish  it  understood,  that  I  dispute  the  propriety  of  the 
orders,  on  the  contrary  I  fully  concur  in  the  doctrine  laid  down  in 
them,  they  are  framed  on  the  laws  of  nations,  were  drawn  up  by  one 
well  versed  in  them,  and  were  intended  to  supply  a  want  of  know- 
ledge of  international  law  on  my  part. 

I  not  only  subscribed  to  that  part  which  authorizes  my  landing, 
and  pursuing  pirates  in  the  limits  of  a  foreign  power,  and  de- 
nounces those  nations  "  so  lost  to  a  sense  of  respect  for  their  own 
character  and  interest  and  the  respect  of  others,  as  to  refuse  to  put 
down  piracy,  much  less  to  aflford  them  any  asylum  and  protection,"  but 
I  subscribe  to  the  yet  stronger  measures  which  have  been  recently  re- 
commended by  the  executive,  to  wit,  "  nothing  short  of  authority 
to  land,  pursue  them,  and  hold  the  authorities  of  places  answerable 
for  the  pirates  who  issue  from  and  resort  there  "  "to  make  them 
answerable  by  reprisals  on  the  property  of  inhabitants,  and  to  block- 
ade the  ports  of  the  islands."  Nothing  short  of  these  measures  can 
put  down  the  disgraceful  system. 

I  also  coincide  with  the  president  "  that  neither  the  government 
of  Spain  nor  the  governments  of  either  of  the  islands  (Cuba  and 
Porto  Rico)  can  reasonably  complain  of  either  of  these  measures, 
or  all  of  them,  should  they  be  resorted  to,  or  the  United  States  in- 
terpose their  aid  for  the  accomplishment  of  an  object  which  is  of 
equal  importance  to  Spain  and  her  islands  as  well  as  to  us."  To  the 
contrary  it  should  be  expected  that  they  will  faithfully  cooperate  in 
such  measure  as  may  be  necessary  for  the  accomplishment  of  this 
very  object.  Whatever  measures,  however,  may  be  resorted  to  by 
the  United  States,  the  first  thing  necessary  to  secure  success  is  to 
protect^  countenance  and  support  the  officer  designated  to  execute 
them ;  and  in  any  measures  which  he  may  adopt,  requiring  energy 
of  action,  he  ought  not  to  be  discouraged,  and  degraded  by  punish- 
ment before  complaint,  or  removed  from  his  command  without  being 
allowed  the  opportunity  to  explain  the  reasons  for  his  conduct.    With- 


Memoie  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  311 

out  such  assurance  no  officer  in  his  senses  would  willingly  undertake 
the  delicate  duties  which  I  have  been  performing,  and  if  compelled 
to  would,  from  his  apprehensions  of  sharing  my  fate,  scarcely  meet 
the  expectations  of  the  government  and  people  of  the  United  States. 

The  discouraging  circumstance  of  my  removal,  for  the  offense  of 
landing  on  Porto  Kico  and  punishing  the  accessories  of  pirates  (the 
authorities  of  Foxardo),  may  have  a  much  more  important  effect  in 
retarding  the  suppression  of  piracy,  than  is  at  present  apprehended  ; 
so  long  as  the  governors  and  people  of  the  small  towns  of  Porto 
Eico  and  Cuba  are  satisfied  that  they  may  imprison  us  with  impu- 
nity, and  that  punishment  certainly  follows  any  attempt  on  our  part 
to  obtain  redress  and  security  to  our  persons,  so  long  the  suppression 
of  piracy  is  impossible,  and  he,  who,  on  these  terms,  is  willing  to  un- 
dertake it,  loses  sight  of  his  own  respectability,  and  of  the  respecta- 
bility of  his  nation  and  flag. 

If  I  have  failed  in  justifying  myself,  I  trust  that  the  failure  may 
be  ascribed  to  the  peculiarly  delicate  duties  which  have  been  con- 
fided to  me,  involving  nice  and  intricate  questions  of  national  rights, 
and  a  zealous  desire  to  act  fully  up  to  the  wishes  of  the  government, 
not  from  a  wish  to  act  in  opposition  to  its  views,  or  to  infringe  on 
the  territorial  rights  and  immunities  of  others. 

Should  there  appear  the  slightest  evidence  of  my  having,  for  a 
moment,  wilfully  disregarded  what  was  due  to  my  country,  and  the 
respect  due  the  government  of  Spain,  I  shall  submit,  with  resigna- 
tion and  cheerfulness,  to  the  severest  punishment  that  can  be  in- 
flicted on  me,  if  it  extends  to  depriving  me  of  my  commission,  which 
I  should  then  be  unworthy  of  bearing. 

There  was  nothing  in  this  pamphlet  to  which  exception 
should  have  been  taken.  It  is  written  in  a  manly  tone, 
in  which  every  American  has  a  right  to  express  his  feelings, 
for  if  this  right  be  denied  to  any  citizen,  what  is  our  govern- 
ment but  a  despotism,  where  a  few  arbitrary  men  in  office 
may,  in  the  name  of  the  people,  inflict  what  punishment 
they  please  for  any  imaginary  offense. 

About  this  time  an  anonymous  communication  appeared 
in  the  National  Intelligencer,  which  was  traced  to  the  sec- 
retary of  the  navy,  and  this  induced  Commodore  Porter 
to  publish  some  letters  bearing  on  his  case,  which  gave 
offense  at  head  quarters,  particularly  as  the  opposition 
press,  ever  ready  to  assail  the  administration,  took  the 
matter  up  and  strongly  advocated  the  Commodore's  cause. 
In  fact  the  aflair  was  made  a  political  question,  and  every 


312         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

effort  put  forth  in  order  that  the  Commodore  might  com- 
mit himself,  for  so  popular  a  man  could  not  be  brought  to 
trial  without  exciting  discussion  and  comment  unfavorable 
to  the  administration.  Several  of  the  Commodore's  friends 
called  on  President'  Adams  to  see  if  justice  could  not  be 
done  him,  but  the  president,  influenced  by  the  secretary  of 
the  navy,  would  take  no  steps  to  further  a  peaceful  solu- 
tion of  the  question. 

Lafayette  was  just  then  on  his  visit  to  the  United  States 
as  the  guest  of  the  nation,  and  becoming  acquainted  with 
Commodore  Porter,  and  sympathizing  with  his  cause,  he 
took  the  liberty  of  asking  of  the  president,  as  a  personal 
favor,  that  the  latter  would  receive  the  Commodore,  and 
permit  him  to  make  personal  explanations,  which  request 
the  president  could  not  refuse  to  grant  so  honored  a  per- 
son. It  was  accordingly  arranged,  that  Lafayette  and  the 
Commodore  should  call  at  the  White  House  at  twelve  the 
next  day ;  but,  when  they  alighted  at  the  door  of  the  exe- 
cutive mansion,  where  the  president  was  apparently  wait- 
ing to  receive  them,  Mr.  Adams  stepped  forward,  and 
shook  hands  cordially  with  the  marquis,  took  his  arm  and 
left  the  Commodore  standing  under  the  front  portico, 
without  taking  any  notice  of  him  whatever.  This  gratui- 
tous insult,  to  both  Lafayette  and  Commodore  Porter,  was 
not  explained  nor  was  the  matter  referred  to  while  the  in- 
terview lasted.  It  would  seem  as  if  the  president  wished 
to  teach  the  Commodore  a  lesson  in  diplomacy,  or  intimate 
to  the  nation's  guest,  that  he  must  not  meddle  with  what 
did  not  concern  him.  Whatever  was  the  motive,  Lafay- 
ette made  a  short  visit  on  that  occasion,  and  the  result  of 
his  attempt  to  bring  about  a  pleasant  meeting  between 
the  head  of  the  government  and  a  distinguished  naval  offi- 
cer, did  not  estrange  him,  in  the  least,  from  the  latter, 
but  on  the  contrary,  deepened  his  feelings  of  esteem  for 
one,  whom  he  saw  had  been  very  unjustly  treated.  This 
affair  showed  a  foregone  conclusion  to  injure  Commodore 
Porter,  and  he  was  shortly  afterward  notified  that  he  would 
be  tried  by  court  martial,  which  satisfied  the  public  of 
the  inimical  feeling  towards  him,  if  they  entertained  any 
doubts  on  the  subject. 

The  court  accordingly  convened  on  the  7th  July,  1825, 
at  the  Washington  Navy  Yard.     It  was  composed  of  the 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  313 

following  officers:  Captain  .James  Barron,  president,  Cap- 
tain Thomas  Tingey,  Captain  James  Biddle,  Captain 
Charles  Ridgely,  Captain  Robert  T.  Spence,  Captain  John 
Downes,  Captain  John  D.  Henley,  Captain  Jesse  D.  Elliot, 
Captain  James  Renshaw,  Captain  Thomas  Brown,  Captain 
Charles  C.  Thompson,  Captain  Alexander  S.  W"adsworth, 
Captain  George  W.  Rodgers,  Richard  S.  Coxe,  judge 
advocate. 

Had  such  been  the  secretary's  intention,  he  could  not 
have  appointed  a  court  more  inimical  to  Commodore  Por- 
ter. The  president  was  his  known  enemy,  and  had  been 
ever  since  the  Commodore  was  a  member  of  the  court  that 
had  sentenced  him  to  six  years  suspension,  for  his  conduct 
in  the  affair  of  the  Chesapeake.  Barron  had  sent  one  brave 
spirit  to  his  long  home  for  this  offense,  and  was  now  to  have 
the  pleasure  of  inflicting  a  wound  on  one,  who  was  Deca- 
tur's peer  in  all  that  was  brave  and  loyal ;  for  even  to  the 
last  of  his  life,  Barron  maintained  his  animosity  against 
those  who  had  condemned  his  conduct. 

Then  there  was  Elliot,  whose  proceedings  at  Lake  Erie  had 
been  arraigned  before  the  public,  openly  charged  with  mis- 
conduct, and  disobedience  of  orders  by  his  commanding 
officer  on  that  occasion  —  a  series  of  investigations  by 
court  martial,  and  inquiry,  and  a  flood  of  pamphlets  had 
brought  the  matter  prominently^before  the  country.  In 
discussions  which  ensued  (particularly  in  naval  circles), 
Commodore  Porter  had  been  outspoken,  as  was  his  custom ; 
and  had  not  hesitated  to  express  very  decided  opinions, 
always  adverse  to  Elliot,  who  owed  him  a  grudge  which 
he  now  had  an  opportunity  to  gratify.  Commodore 
Porter  never  spoke  to  Elliot  (socially),  and  it  was  well 
understood  that  they  were  enemies.  Biddle  was  not 
friendly  to  Commodore  Porter,  but  it  was  not  supposed 
that  his  feelings  would  prejudice  his  action  as  a  member 
of  the  court. 

The  judge  advocate  was  apparently  hostile  to  the  Com- 
modore from  the  very  beginning,  for  what  reason  is  un- 
known, unless  from  his  intimacy  with  the  secretary  of  the 
navy,  which  ought  not  to  have  influenced  him  against  the 
accused.  Commodore  Porter  had  objected  to  Mr.  Coxe's 
proceedings,  as  judge  advocate  of  the  court  of  inquiry, 
40 


814         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

and  the  only  objection  he  made  to  the  court  martial  was 
the  appointment  of  this  gentleman  as  judge  advocate. 

When  asked  by  the  president  whether  he  had  any  ex- 
ceptions to  make,  Commodore  Porter  addressed  the  court 
as  follows : 

Mr.  President :  Thus  called  upon  to  declare  my  exceptions  to  any 
of  the  members  of  this  general  court  martial,  here  assembled,  who 
are  to  exercise  a  judicative  function  in  my  case,  and  to  have  a  voice 
in  pronouncing  my  guilt  or  innocence,  I  do  without  hesitation  re- 
nounce every  such  exception,  even  if  it  were  so  that  any  member  of 
this  court  should,  unknown  to  me,  be  affected  by  any  prejudice  or 
bias  unfavorable  to  an  impartial  judgment  in  my  case.  I  rely  too 
implicitly  on  the  known  character  of  my  brethren  in  arms,  to  think 
of  scrutinizing  the  motives  of  any.  Their  own  hearts  are  suflficiently 
informed,  by  justice  and  honor,  of  the  proper  course  to  be  pursued 
in  such  a  case.  But,  sir,  I  do  find  myself  very  reluctantly  compelled, 
by  a  sense  of  justice  due  to  myself,  as  well  as  by  a  regard  for  the 
honor  of  the  service,  and  for  the  wholesome  safeguards  of  military 
jurisprudence,  to  interpose  at  this  precise  stage  of  the  business, 
some  fundamental  objections  to  so  much  of  the  material  of  this  court 
as  consists  in  the  functions  of  judge  advocate. 

He  then  proceeded  to  give  his  objections  as  follows  : 

First,  against  the  legal  competency  of  the  judge  advocate  (which 
he  illustrated  by  a  sound  argument),  and  second  against  his  moral 
competency,  inasmuch  as  Mr.  Coxe  was  evidently  biased  against 
him,  and  it  was  for  the  judge  advocate's  interest  that  he  should  be 
convicted. 

On  this  point  Commodore  Porter  remarked  as  follows  : 

I  have  direct  and  certain  information,  that  the  gentleman  now 
claiming  to  officiate  as  judge  advocate,  has  written  and  published  at 
least  one  anonymous  article,  distinctly  asserting  the  truth  of  one  of 
the  specifications  now  exhibited  against  me,  and  so  has  pledged  his 
credit,  in  a  way  utterly  incompatible  with  the  requisite  impartiahty, 
to  fix  a  charge  on  me,  which  from  its  nature  may  result  in  a  ques- 
tion of  veracity  between  him  and  me.  I  am  further  informed  (though 
not  on  such  direct  and  certain  authority  as  in  the  other  instance, 
but  from  sources  pregnant  of  probability  and  truth),  that  he  has 
employed  himself  in  writing,  and  has  quite  or  nearly  ready  for  the 
press,  a  pamphlet  professing  to  be  a  full  answer  to  my  published  de- 
fense against  the  principal  charge  now  to  be  tried,  and  laboring  to 
establish  by  facts  and  reasonings  the  conclusion  of  my  guilt.  Of 
these  facts,  I  doubt  not  of  being  able  to  produce  the  most  satisfac- 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         315 

tory  evidence,  if  the  voluntary  and  candid  avowal  of  the  gentleman 
himself  should  not  dispense  with  it.  Then  I  would  ask,  what  is 
left  for  him  on  this  occasion,  but  to  redeem  his  public  pledges,  and 
to  vindicate  his  own  preconceived,  divulged  and  fixed  opinion  on  my 
guilt,  and  how  is  this  to  be  reconciled  with  any  of  the  legitimate 
functions  of  a  judge  advocate  ? 

When  tlie  court  was  cleared  for  deliberation,  one  of  the 
members,  not  considering  himself  competent  to  decide  the 
question  presented  by  the  Commodore,  without  legal  ad- 
vice, the  judge  advocate  was  called  upon  for  his  opinion  (!) 
which  was  of  course  adverse  to  the  Commodore,  and 
the  court  therefore  refused  to  receive  the  latter's  excep- 
tions. 

After  this  extraordinary  proceeding  the  usual  oaths  were 
administered  to  the  members  and  to  the  judge  advocate, 
and  the  following  charges  against  Commodore  Porter 
were  read. 

Charge  1st.  Disobedience  of  orders,  and  conduct  unbecoming  an 
officer. 

Specification.  For  that  he,  the  said  David  Porter,  being  in  com- 
mand of  the  naval  forces  of  the  United  States  in  the  West  India  seas, 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  &c.,  did  on  or  about  the  fourteenth  day  of  Novem- 
ber, in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  twenty- 
four,  with  a  part  of  said  naval  forces,  land  on  the  island  of  Porto 
Bico,  in  the  dominions  of  his  Catholic  Majesty  the  King  of  Spain, 
then  and  still  at  amity  and  peace  with  the  United  States,  in  a  forci- 
ble and  hostile  manner,  and  in  military  array  and  did  then  and  there 
commit  divers  acts  of  hostility  against  the  subjects  and  property  of 
the  said  King  of  Spain,  in  contravention  of  the  constitution  of  the 
United  States  and  of  the  laws  of  nations  and  in  violation  of  the  in- 
structions from  the  government  of  the  United  States  to  him,  the  said 
David  Porter. 

Charge  2d.  Insubordinate  conduct  and  conduct  unbecoming  an 
officer. 

Specification  1st.  For  that  he,  the  said  David  Porter,  did  write 
and  transmit  to  the  President  of  the  United  States,  a  letter  of  an  in- 
subordinate and  disrespectful  character,  to  wit :  on  the  seventeenth 
day  of  April,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord,  one  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  twenty-five,  and  did  also  write  and  transmit  to  the  secretary  of 
the  navy,  at  sundry  times,  hereinafter  particularly  mentioned,  vari- 
ous letters  of  an  insubordinate  and  disrespectful  character,  viz.,  on 
the  thirtieth  day  of  January,  the  sixteenth  day  of  March,  the  thir- 


316  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

teenth  day  of  April  and  the  fourteentli  day  of  June,  all  in  the  year 
of  our  Lord,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  twenty-five,  thereby 
violating  the  respect  due  from  every  ofl&cer  in  the  navy  to  the  head 
of  the  department,  impairing  the  discipline  of  the  service,  and  set- 
ting a  most  dangerous  and  pernicious  example. 

Specification  2d.  For  that  he,  the  said  David  Porter,  after  a  court 
of  inquiry  had  been  convened  and  directed  to  investigate,  and  make 
report  of  the  facts  in  relation  to  the  matters  embraced  in  the  speci- 
fication of  the  first  charge,  and  after  such  court  had  terminated  its 
inquiries,  and  had  transmitted  its  report  to  the  secretary  of  the  navy, 
and  before  the  executive  had  published  or  authorized  the  publica- 
tion of  the  proceedings  of  said  court,  did  publish  or  cause  to  be  pub- 
lished,^a  pamphlet  purporting  to  contain  the  proceedings  of  the  said 
court  of  inquiry. 

Specification  Zd.  For  that  he,  the  said  David  Porter,  in  the  pub- 
lication made  as  mentioned  in  the  last  preceding  specification,  did 
give  an  incorrect  statement  of  the  proceedings  of  the  said  court  of 
inquiry. 

'Specification  Ath.  For  that  he,  the  said  David  Porter,  did  in  the 
publication  referred  to  in  the  two  last  preceding  specifications,  in- 
sert various  remarks,  statements  and  insinuations  not  warranted  by 
the  facts,  highly  disrespectful  to  the  secretary  of  the  navy,  and  to 
the  said  court  of  inquiry. 

Specification  5th.  For  that  he  the  said  David  Porter,  did  in  the 
same  publication  referred  to  in  the  last  preceding  specification,  with- 
out any  authority  or  permission  for  that  purpose,  make  public  official 
communications  to  the  government,  and  official  correspondence  with 
the  government;  and  has  on  other  occasions  between  the  1st  of  Oc- 
tober, 1824,  and  the  15th  of  June,  1825,  without  authority  or 
permission  therefor,  made  public  orders  and  instructions  from  the 
government,  and  official  correspondence  with  the  government. 

Commodore  Porter,  before  pleading  to  these  charges, 
requested  delay  until  the  next  morning,  and  in  the  mean- 
time^^to|be  furnished  with  a  true  copy,  stating  as  the  reason 
for  this  request,  that  he  had  observed  a  difference  between 
the  copy  furnished  him  by  the  department,  and  the  one  in 
possession  of  the  court.  He  also  requested  to  have  counsel 
to  assist  in  his  defense.  Both  his  requests  were  granted 
and  Walter  Jones,  Esq.,  was  admitted  as  his  counsel. 

On  the  8th  of  July,  the  court  having  adjourned  from 
the  ^avy  Yard  and  assembled  at  the  Marine  Barracks, 
Washington,  Commodore  Porter,  by  permission  of  the 
court,  delivered  by   way  of  plea,   a  protest  against  the 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         317 

sufficiency  and  legal  eiFect  of  the  charges,  after  which  he 
pleaded  not  guilty,  reserving  to  himself  the  right  during 
the  progress  of  the  trial,  and  in  due  time  of  excepting  to 
the  said  charges  and  specifications,  as  designating  no 
offense  known  to  any  law  enacted  for  the  government  of 
the  navy;  as  vague  and  indefinite,  and  altogether  insuffi- 
cient to  put  him  on  trial  for  the  matters  therein  supposed 
to  be  charged. 

The  trial  then  proceeded.  The  sura  of  the  ofifenses 
charged,  was  disobedience  of  orders,  conduct  unbecoming 
an  officer,  and  disrespect  to  his  superiors ;  but  a  careful 
examination  of  the  evidence  will,  in  our  opinion,  convince 
any  unprejudiced  person,  that  not  a  single  specification  of 
the  charges  was  sustained.  On  the  contrary,  it  was  proved 
that  Commodore  Porter,  at  Foxardo,  had  complied  with 
his  instructions,  which  say :  "  In  the  case  of  pirates,  the 
right  of  an  armed  force  of  one  power  to  follow  them  into 
the  territory  of  another  is  more  complete.  In  regard  to 
pirates,  there  is  no  neutral  power,  they  being  the  enemies  of 
the  human  race,  all  nations  are  parties  against  them." 

This  paragraph  completely  covers  the  point  at  issue,  and 
had  Commodore  Porter  desired  it,  he  could  not  have  had 
an  order  written  that  would  have  more  completely  exone- 
rated him. 

The  testimony  of  Lieut  Piatt  was  pretty  much  according 
to  the  report  he  had  made  to  Commodore  Porter,  but  was 
still  stronger  in  reference  to  the  outrageous  conduct  of  the 
alcalde,  who  seized  him  by  the  collar,  and  with  two  sol- 
diers, forced  him  into  prison,  against  his  most  solemn  pro- 
tests. The  officers  who  had  accompanied  the  Commodore 
to  Foxardo  merely  testified  to  the  facts  mentioned  in  his 
report. 

In  the  testimony  of  Mr.  Stephen  Cabot,  U.  S.  consu- 
lar agent  at  St.  Thomas,  it  was  shown  that  his  store  was 
broken  open  by  pirates  on  the  night  of  the  24th  of  October, 
sind  robbed  of  five  thousand  dollars  worth  of  goods,  the 
property  of  American  citizens.  That  facts  came  to  his 
knowledge,  proving  that  the  alcalde  of  Foxardo,  and  one 
John  Campus,  a  wealthy  resident  of  that  place,  were  in 
collusion  with  the  thieves,  and  had  the  goods  in  their  pos- 
kjession,  while  Lieut.  Piatt  was  imprisoned,  until  the  evi- 


318  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

dences  of  their  guilt  could  be  removed.  Mr.  Cabot  further 
stated,  that  the  alcalde  of  Foxardo  had  sent  a  message, 
offering  to  obtain  the  value  of  the  goods,  provided  Cabot 
would  relinquish  one-half  the  amount  to  him.  The  same 
thing  was  proved  by  the  evidence  of  Lieut.  J.  D.  Sloat, 
and  it  was  established  that  the  party  landed  by  the  Com- 
modore maintained  perfect  order,  committing  no  acts  un- 
friendly to  Spain,  or  oppressive  to  any  of  her  subjects.  It 
was  proved  that  Foxardo  had  long  been  a  nest  of  pirates, 
no  less  than  twelve  robberies  of  stores  at  St.  Thomas,  and 
several  vessels  had  been  conducted  from  that  place,  and  it 
was  one  of  the  places  indicated  in  the  instructions  of  Sec- 
retary Thompson,  who  asserted  that  "  in  regard  to  pirates 
there  is  no  neutral  power." 

In  this  case,  the  offense  was  connived  at  by  the  two 
principal  local  officials  of  the  Spanish  government,  whose 
position  could  no  more  protect  them  than  if  they  had  been 
the  meanest  of  the  populace.  Had  these  officials  robbed 
a  vessel,  and  then  escaped  to  the  shore,  they  could  have 
been  pursued  and  shot  with  impunity;  but  it  was  deemed 
a  violation  of  neutral  rights  to  interfere  with  pirates,  who 
were  enjoying  their  plunder  on  shore,  and  aggravating 
their  offenses  by  subjecting  our  officers  to  every  indignity, 
including  filthy  imprisonment. 

By  no  logic  could  the  judge  advocate  twist  the  transac- 
tions at  Foxardo  into  the  offense  with  which  the  Commo- 
dore was  charged,  though  he  showed  himself  clever  enough 
to  have  convicted  George  Washington  of  cutting  that 
cherry  tree  with  lis  little  hatchet. 

It  \^as  also  clearly  proved,  to  the  discomfiture  of  the 
judge  advocate,  that  an  article  published  in  the  National 
Journal,  calculated  to  forestall  public  opinion  and  to  influ- 
ence the  members  of  the  court,  was  written  by  him.  The 
pamphlet,  too,  which  was  prepared  by  Mr.  Coxe,  and  on 
which  Commodore  Porter  grounded  his  exceptions,  was 
advertised  for  sale  on  the  day  after  the  sentence  of  the 
court  was  published,  which  was  conclusive  proof  that  the 
said  pamphlet  was  actually  in  press  at  the  time  these  ex- 
ceptions were  taken.  In  fact  there  was  no  evidence  pre- 
sented during  the  trial,  which  substantiated  the  charges, 
although  some  side   issues  were  raised  with  the  evident 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  319 

desire  of  influencing  the  members  of  the  court,  and  show- 
ing where  lay  the  desire  for  conviction. 

The  conduct  of  the  Spanish  officials  was  proved  to  have 
been  in  violation  of  all  law,  yet  at  the  end  of  the  trial,  the 
United  States  presented  the  humiliating  spectacle  of  sub- 
mission to  insult,  and  by  their  action  (before  any  complaint 
was  made),  seeming  to  beg  that  Spain  should  take  no 
notice  of  a  high  spirited  officer,  who  had  protected  the 
honor  of  his  country. 

The  court  sat  forty  days  with  but  a  short  time  allotted 
for  the  defendant  to  collect  evidence,  and  with  every  effort 
to  accumulate  testimony  against  him.  He  was  allowed 
to  hold  no  communication  with  the  court,  except  through 
his  enemy,  the  judge  advocate,  the  court  deciding  against 
his  pleas,  or  applications  in  almost  every  instance. 

Although  the  judge  advocate  endeavored  to  prove  that 
Commodore  Porter  had  published  certain  official  docu- 
ments, yet,  when  it  was  requested  by  the  Commdore,  that 
the  secretary  of  the  navy  should  be  called  in  relation  to  a 
certain  anonymous  article,  which  the  honorable  gentleman 
had  printed  in  the  newspapers,  and  which  had  elicited  the 
publication  complained  of,  the  court  refused  to  grant  the 
request.  At  length,  after  a  long  sitting  with  closed  doors, 
the  Commodore  was  called  upon  for  his  defense,  which, 
after  being  submitted  to  the  judge  advocate,  was  delivered 
orally  to  the  court. 

Defense. 

Mr.  President  and  Gentlemen  of  the  Court  Martial :  After  hav- 
ing endured  a  long  and  mortifying  suspense,  the  frown  of  undefined 
indignation,  and  the  anxieties  of  ambiguous  censure,  I  have  ex- 
perienced a  sensible  relief,  from  a  public  investigation  promising  a 
determinate  issue,  which  in  no  event  can  place  me  in  a  situation 
less  tolerable  than  that  from  which  it  takes  me.  Even  the  hard 
measure  that  has  been  dealt  me,  in  the  manner  and  spirit  of  the 
prosecution,  both  before  and  during  the  progress  of  my  present  trial, 
is  amply  compensated,  whatever  be  the  event,  by  the  opportunity 
afforded  me  of  a  full  and  open  justification  before  the  world,  and 
especially  before  a  tribunal,  between  the  members  of  which  and  my- 
self at  least,  so  much  of  intelligence  and  community  of  sentiment 
exists,  as  to  free  me  from  the  apprehension  of  receiving  less  than 
justice   at  their  hands,  and  to  acquit  me,  in  their  minds,  from  the 


320  Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter. 

suspicion  of  appealing  to  their  favor  for  anything  more  than  justice. 
If  preparatory  censures  have  tended  to  wound  my  feelings,  or  to 
prejudice  my  cause;  if  a  stern  and  jealous  inquisition  have  probed 
every  part  of  my  professional  character  and  conduct,  where  the 
sensitiveness  of  a  man  of  honor,  or  the  presumed  defects  of  human 
frailty,  might  be  supposed  to  shrink  from  the  searching  point ;  and 
if  taken  unawares  by  the  suddenness  of  the  attack,  or  the  novelty 
of  my  situation,  an  excruciated  sensibility  may,  for  a  time,  have 
broken  through  the  guards  that  should  have  preserved  me  unmoved 
and  self  balanced  in  mind  and  temper ;  yet,  after  all,  I  bow  with 
humility  and  experimental  conviction  to  the  moral  system  of  com- 
pensations that  bringeth  good  out  of  evil,  for  innocence  made  but 
the  more  manifest  and  clear,  from  the  severity  of  its  trials,  is  the 
bright  reversion  that  might  have  animated  hope,  and  endued  me 
with  the  passive  fortitude  of  endurance  through  a  longer  and  more 
penal  term  of  tribulation.  The  accusations  which  I  am  now  to 
answer,  present  this  singular  feature,  while  they  branch  out  into 
two  distinct  classes  of  offense,  the  most  dissimilar,  and  the  most  un- 
equal in  the  quality  and  degree  of  the  legal  and  moral  guilt  imputed, 
as  in  the  importance  and  interest  to  the  community  of  the  principles 
involved,  and  of  the  actions  to  be  condemned  or  justified.  They  all 
originate  in  the  same  source,  and  are  closely  connected  by  the 
causes  that  have  produced  them,  and  by  the  passions  and  motives 
that  uphold  them. 

The  first  branch  of  the  accusation  brings  into  discussion  the  most 
important  and  vital  principles  of  the  high  and  awful  sanctions,  by 
which  national  sovereignty  is  to  be  maintained,  and  vindicated  by 
arms,  while  the  second  hinges  upon  the  minute  punctilios  of  cere- 
monious respect.  That  a  devoted  servant  of  the  republic,  who  had 
consumed  the  flower  of  his  years  and  the  vigor  of  his  life  in  arduous, 
and  as  he  hoped,  acceptable  services ;  who  had  looked  for  approba- 
tion, if  not  for  honor  as  his  reward,  for  an  unstinted  exposure  to 
labors,  privations  and  dangers ;  so  much  the  more  disinterested,  as 
however  beneficial  to  his  country  and  to  mankind,  it  promised  few 
of  the  personal  gratifications  which  may  laudably  be  sought  in  the 
renown  of  more  striking  and  brilliant  achievements ;  who  was  con- 
scious of  having  acted  with  the  most  implicit  respect,  and  exact 
fidelity  to  what  he  understood  to  be  the  views  and  instructions  of 
his  superiors ;  who  with  wasted  powers  of  life  but  untiring  activity 
and  zeal  had  exerted  for  the  fulfillment  of  those  instructions  to  the 
utmost  scope  of  their  letter  and  spirit,  whatsoever  of  efficient  energy 
a  constitution  worn  and  broken  in  the  public  service  had  left  him ; 
that  such  a  one  should  have  been  somewhat  sore  and  impatient  under 
rebuke  that  came  like  a  portent  and  a  wonder  upon  his  astonished 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         321 

senses,  was  far  more  natural  than  that  complaints  of  misconstruction 
and  injustice  should  have  been  interperted  into  disrespect;  and  free 
but  decorous  remonstrance  treated  as  little  less  than  mutiny. 

In  my  justification  against  these  charges  I  must  regret  the  neces- 
sity of  occupying  a  larger  portion  of  the  valuable  time  of  this  court 
than  any  intrinsic  difficulties  in  the  questions  themselves  might 
possibly  have  required,  but  the  terms  in  which  the  charges  have 
been  framed,  their  often  complained  of  vagueness  and  uncertainty 
as  to  the  nature  and  degree  of  the  offense  intended  to  be  charged ; 
the  mystery  observed  as  to  the  application  of  the  facts  and  circum- 
stances given  in  evidence  to  the  gist  of  the  accusation,  and  the  de- 
fect of  any  advertisement  of  the  points  intended  to  be  insisted  on 
in  the  prosecution,  or  that  were  supposed  to  require  elucidation  in 
the  defense ;  all  these  circumstances  compel  me  to  traverse  a  wide 
field  as  well  of  conjectural  as  of  obvious  justification. 

Charge  1.  Before  I  proceed  to  discuss  any  matter  of  fact  or 
law  put  in  issue  by  the  first  charge,  it  may  be  useful  to  attain 
as  distinct  an  understanding  as  practicable  of  its  terms  and  of 
the  nature  and  degree  of  the  guilt  imputed  by  it.  The  general 
head  under  which  the  off"ense  intended  to  be  charged  is  classed 
and  characterized,  consists  of  two  members :  first  "  disobedience 
of  orders,"  second.  "  conduct  unbecoming  an  officer."  The  first, 
doubtless,  falls  under  a  general  description  of  military  off'ense  com- 
mon to  every  organized  body  of  military  force  in  the  world,  but 
in  every  military  code  by  which  such  an  event  may  be  punished, 
the  character  and  functions  of  the  officer  from  whom  the  orders  are 
supposed  to  emanate,  and  the  nature  of  such  orders,  are  usually  de- 
fined with  all  reasonable  precision.  In  the  5th  and  14th  of  our 
naval  articles  of  war,  this  species  of  off'ense  is  defined  in  terms  nearly 
equivalent  to  the  corresponding  articles  in  the  naval  and  military 
codes  of  Britain,  and  in  our  own  military  articles  of  war.  Our  5th 
naval  article  of  war  is,  in  terms,  restricted  to  the  orders  of  a  com- 
manding officer,  when  preparing  for,  or  joining  in,  or  actually  en- 
gaged in  battle.  But  the  14th  article  conceived  in  terms  somewhat 
more  comprehensive,  enacts  that  "  no  officer  or  private  shall  disobey 
the  lawful  orders  of  his  superior  officer,  or  strike  him,  &c.,  while  in 
the  execution  of  the  duties  of  his  office.''  The  punishment  of  the 
off'ense  in  either  of  its  modes  or  degrees,  is  "  death,  or  such  other 
punishment  as  a  court  martial  shall  inflict."  Then  if  by  the  "  dis- 
obedience of  orders,"  here  charged  be  intended  any  off'ense  known 
to  the  naval  articles  of  war  and  punishable  under  them,  it  implies 
that  I  had  received  from  some  superior  officer,  an  actual  command 
either  while  engaged  or  about  to  be  engaged  in  battle  or  otherwise, 
41 


322        Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

"  in  the  execution  of  the  duties  of  his  office,"  some  order  which  I  had 
disobeyed ;  and  so  had  come  in  the  danger  of  a  capital^  as  every 
military  offense  is  denominated  which  is  punishable  with  death; 
though  it  be  left  to  the  discretion  of  a  court  martial  to  inflict  any 
less  punishment. 

When  this  general  charge  comes  to  be  deduced  into  particulars 
in  the  form  of  a  specification,  no  orders  ieither  commanding  or  for- 
bidding me  to  do  any  act  whatever,  are  set  forth,  either  in  terms  or 
in  substance  ;  no  commanding  officer  or  superior  from  whom  they  are 
supposed  to  have  issued  is  either  named  or  described.  The  specifica- 
tion simply  sets  out  the  naked  and  insulated  fact  of  a  certain  invasion 
by  force  of  arms  upon  the  territorial  sovereignty  of  Spain  accompanied 
by  "  divers  acts  of  hostility  against  the  subjects  and  the  property  of 
that  power  :"  and  instead  of  any  averment  that  in  so  doing  the  or- 
ders of  a  commanding  or  superior  officer  had  been  disobeyed,  the 
conclusion  of  the  specification  branches  out  into  a  "  contravention 
of  the  constitution  of  the  United  States,  and  of  the  law  of  nations 
and  a  violation  of  instructions  from  the  government  of  the  United 
States."  Now  whether  any  "  contravention  of  the  constitution  or  of 
the  law  of  nations^'  not  involved  in  a  disobedience  of  military  orders 
be  an  offense  cognizable  under  this  charge  by  a  court  martial ;  or 
whether  general  instructions  from  the  government  be  identical  with 
the  orders  of  a  commanding  or  superior  officer  and  a  violation  of 
such  instructions  equivalent  to  a  disobedience  of  such  orders  are  ques- 
tions of  grave  import,  and  will  doubtless  in  their  due  order,  receive 
the  deliberate  consideration  of  the  court.  At  present,  however,  we 
are  endeavoring  to  ascertain  the  essential  character  and  terms  of  the 
offense  actually  intended  to  be  charged  ;  its  legal  attributes  and  con- 
sequences may  be  separately  considered. 

i^s  to  the  second  member  of  the  general  charge,  "  conduct  un- 
becoming an  officer,"  whether  it  be  intended  to  describe  a  mere  inci- 
dent to  every  act  of  military  disobedience,  or  to  impute  some 
gratuitous  and  superadded  circumstance  of  aggravation  in  the  mode 
and  degree  of  it,  and  to  inflame  the  guilt  of  simple  disobedience  by 
some  wanton  abuse  in  the  manner  and  circumstances  attending  the 
commission  of  the  acts ;  as  in  the  "  divers  acts  of  hostility"  said  to 
have  been  committed  "against  the  subjects  and  property  of  the 
king  of  Spain,"  are  questions  left  in  the  characteristic  obscurity  and 
uncertainty  which  have  all  along,  veiled  the  "  head  and  front  of  my 
offending  "  from  any  distinct  view  of  it  that  might  have  enabled 
me  to  perceive  or  to  divine  its  extent.         ***** 

The  rights  and  duties  incidental  to  a  state  of  war,  as  it  affects 
every  party  directly  or  indirectly  concerned,  have  been  the  subject 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         323 

of  such  frequent  and  elaborate  discussion  in  our  own  intercourse 
with  foreign  nations  and  have  received  such  lucid  definition  and  such 
various  illustration  from  our  most  eminent  statesmen,  that  we  may 
be  said  to  have  compiled  and  digested  from  the  best  authorities 
and  the  most  enlightened  views  of  the  subject,  a  system  of  public 
law  upon  these  topics ;  which  if  it  be  not  generally  adopted  by  the 
family  of  civilized  nations,  as  the  moral  and  political  influence  of 
our  example  extends,  may  at  least  be  received  among  ourselves  as 
superseding,  to  every  practical  purpose,  a  reference  to  the  more 
general  and  less  applicable  doctrines  of  elementary  writers.  Our 
discussions  with  the  powers  of  Europe  while  they  were  belligerent 
and  we  were  neutral,  have  settled  for  ourselves  the  positive  rights  of 
neutrals ;  and  our  more  recent  discussions  and  collisions  with  one  of 
those  powers,  while  we  were  belligerent  and  she  neutral  have  equally 
well  settled  the  positive  duties  of  neutrals.  The  rule  to  be  deduced 
from  the  latter  is  so  much  the  more  intelligible  in  its  doctrine  and 
obvious  and  practical  in  its  application,  since  it  has  grown  out  of 
collisions  and  discussions  of  the  belligerent  rights  of  the  United 
States  as  correlative  to  the  neutral  duties  of  this  very  power,  Spain  ; 
whose  territorial  sovereignty  I  am  charged  with    having  violated. 

Here  follows  a  discussion  on  the  rights  of  belligerents, 
which,  though  pertinent  to  the  trial,  is  rather  too  long  for 
insertion. 

*  *  *  *  In  the  emphatic  language  of  Mr.  Adams, 
"  The  right  of  the  United  States  can  as  little  compound  with  im- 
potence as  with  perfidy.^'  All  this  infers  no  hostility  against  the 
neutral  J  but  proceeds  upon  the  great  principle  of  self  defense, 
which  justifies  a  belligerent  to  disarm  his  adversary,  to  turn  upon 
him  his  own  weapons,  and  deprive  him  of  the  permitted  or  usurped 
means  of  annoyance.  There  may  be  occasions,  when  the  misconduct 
of  a  neutral  sovereign  might  expose  him  to  the  resentment  of  the 
belligerent  sovereign,  and  make  him  an  actual  party  in  the  war  ; 
but  I  here  speak  merely  of  those  incidental  rights  of  actual  war, 
which  affect  him  in  his  neutral  character,  and  require  not  the  deci- 
sion of  the  sovereign  will  to  authorize  the  enforcement  of  them ; 
which  are  inseparable  from  belligerent  operations,  and  are  summarily 
exerted  in  the  exigency  of  the  moment,  at  the  discretion  of  the  com- 
mander to  whom  the  conduct  of  such  operations  is  intrusted  ]  "  of 
the  necessity  for  which,"  says  Mr.  Adams,  speaking  of  the  invasion 
and  occupation  by  military  force  of  neutral  territory,  including  its 
fortified  places  and  garrisons,  whenever  the  effectual  prosecution  of 
hostilities  against  the  enemy  shall,  in  the  opinion  of  the  general, 
make   it  necessary,   "  he  has  the  most  effectual  means  of  forming  a 


324  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

judgment,  and  the  vindication  of  which  is  written  in  every  page  of 
the  law  of  nations,  as  well  as  in  the  first  law  of  nature,  self  defense." 
The  principle  is  not  confined  to  neutral  territory,  but  extends  to  all 
the  ramifications  of  neutral  sovereignty,  and  to  all  the  modifications 
of  neutral  property ;  for  it  is  the  same  identical  principle  modified 
by  circumstances,  that  authorizes  naval  commanders,  from  the 
admiral  of  a  fleet  to  the  lieutenant  commandant  of  a  schooner,  or  a 
barge,  or  even  the  captain  of  a  privateer,  to  seize  upon  the  high 
seas,  neutral  ships  carrying  contraband,  infringing  a  blockade  or 
committing  other  unneutral  acts. 

The  flag  of  a  nation  is  just  as  inviolable  an  emblem  of  sovereignty 
as  territory ;  and  the  ship  that  bears  it  is,  constructively,  a  part  of 
the  territory  and  just  as  much  entitled  to  protection. 

"  There  will  need'^  (to  borrow  again  the  language  of  Mr.  Adams, 
the  condensation  and  force  of  which,  added  to  its  authority,  may 
dispense  with  other  illustration)  "  no  citations  from  printed  treatises 
on  international  law  to  prove  the  correctness  of  this  principle.  It 
is  engraven  in  adamant  on  the  common  sense  of  mankind ;  no  writer 
ever  pretended  to  contradict  it,  none  of  any  reputation  or  authority 
ever  omitted  to  insert  it." 

I  cannot  forbear,  however,  adding  to  the  domestic  documents  of 
our  public  transactions,  by  which  both  our  belligerent  and  our  neu- 
tral rights  are  so  amply  unfolded  and  accurately  defined,  the  author- 
ity of  the  venerable  and  illustrious  Grotius,  who  may  be  styled  the 
father  of  the  modern  law  of  nations.  In  laying  down  the  rule  by 
which  neutrals  may  expose  themselves  to  the  treatment  of  enemies, 
he  also  recommends  certain  modifications  of  the  strict  belligerent 
right ;  not  as  necessary  limitations  or  exceptions,  which  a  neutral 
may  insist  on,  but  as  being  merely  recommended  by  a  spirit  of  mode- 
ration and  humanity  ;  and  which  a  belligerent  may  disregard,  accordr 
ing  to  his  own  discretion,  or  his  estimate  of  necessity  or  prudence. 

*  *  *  *  The  principles  established  by  the  docu- 
ments now  adverted  to,  regard  Spain  in  her  simple  character  of  strict 
neutrality  ;  without  reference  to  her  higher  and  more  sacred  obliga- 
tions as  an  a%. 

In  the  late  war  with  Great  Britain,  in  which  the  Indians  of  Flo- 
rida took  part  against  us,  General  Jackson  was  expressly  authorized 
by  President  Madison,  to  take  Pensacola,  if  it  were  found  to  have 
fostered  Indian  hostilities  by  ministering  to  their  wants  and  affording 
them  the  means  of  annoyance.  "  If,"  proceeds  the  order  as  indited 
by  Secretary  Armstrong,  "  the  Spaniards  admit  into  their  towns, 
feed  and  arm  and  cooperate  with  the  hostile  Indians,  you  must  strike 
upon  the  broad  principles  of  self-preservation." 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         225 

A  lengthy  argument  on  the  action  of  Jackson  in  Florida, 
is  omitted,  being  mentioned  as  a  matter  of  history  else- 
where. It  has  a  strong  bearing  on  Commodore  Porter's 
case,  and,  taken  as  a  precedent,  fully  justifies  him. 

*  *  *  *  Now  let  the  principles,  so  clearly  deduced 
from  these  most  authoritative  precedents,  be  applied  to  my  situation 
and  conduct  as  commander  of  the  squadron  in  the  West  Indies, 
engaged  in  actual  war  against  the  pirates.  From  a  variety  of 
causes,  too  obvious  to  be  mentioned,  the  Spanish  islands  in  the 
West  Indies  were,  for  the  most  part,  more  destitute  of  any  practical, 
steady  and  efficient  governments,  and  police,  than  the  inhabited 
parts  of  the  Floridas.  The  pirates  who  sought  shelter  there,  were  not 
like  the  miserable  savages  of  Florida,  insulated  and  cut  off  from  access 
to  other  quarters  for  relief,  so  as  to  be  dependent  on  Spanish  towns 
and  garrisons  for  occasional  supplies  of  provisions,  arms,  and  am- 
munition. On  the  contrary,  their  enterprising  and  successful 
piracies,  and  the  accumulated  plunder  of  land  and  sea,  gave  them 
influence  and  favor,  not  only  in  the  more  barren  or  thinly  inhabited 
districts,  but  in  some  of  the  more  considerable  towns  and  settle- 
ments; while  their  numbers,  their  resources,  and  their  ferocity 
overawed  and  intimidated  those  who  were  not  seduced  by  participa- 
tion, in  the  spoils  of  piratical  enterprise.  When  the  hot  pursuit  of 
our  cruisers  had  driven  them  from  the  sea,  and  destroyed  all  their 
vessels,  capable  of  keeping  the  sea,  they  retreated  into  the  various 
parts  of  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico;  in  some  places,  banded  themselves 
against  the  local  authorities,  and  effectually  defied  every  effort  to 
reduce  them ;  in  other  places  they  assumed  various  disguises,  as 
fishermen,  droguers,  peddlers,  etc.,  etc.  As  fishermen,  they  built 
huts  and  villages  upon  the  coasts  of  these  two  islands,  and  kept  up 
a  constant  intercourse  with  the  inhabitants,  from  whom  it  was  ex- 
tremely difficult  to  distinguish  them.  The  innumerable  bays,  inlets, 
shoals  and  harbors,  about  these  islands,  enabled  them  to  conceal  their 
boats,  in  which  they  nightly  sallied  forth  from  their  holds,  and 
committed  innumerable  piracies  ;  as  well  upon  the  high  seas,  as  in 
the  towns  and  settlements,  on  the  neighboring  coasts.  They  then  re- 
treated with  their  plunder  to  their  secret  haunts,  reassumed  their 
disguises,  and  eluded  detection  and  pursuit. 

Here  follows  a  comparison  between  Florida  and  Porto 
Rico,  showing  that  the  authority  in  the  former  was  much 
more  stable  than  in  the  latter,  and  that  the  atrocities  of 


326  Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter. 

the  pirates  called  for  more  energetic  measures  than  even 
the  acts  of  the  Indians  living  on  Spanish  soil. 

*  *  *  *  As  to  Foxardo,  you  have  it  clearly  proved, 
how  notorious  were  that  town  and  district,  and  an  extensive  tract  of 
country  around,  as  the  most  pernicious  of  these  haunts  for  pirates  ; 
including  two  other  noted  places  on  the  same  coast,  from  twenty  to 
twenty -five  miles  from  Foxardo,  called  Nauquaba  and  Boca  del 
Inferno,  equally  notorious  for  the  resort  of  pirates,  and  as  receptacles 
for  their  plunder.  It  was  to  the  latter  of  these  places,  known  by 
so  characteristic  an  appellation,  that  the  crew  of  the  piratical  vessel, 
driven  on  shore  by  Lieut,  Sloat,  attempted  to  retreat,  as  reported  in 
his  letter  to  the  secretary  of  the  navy,  of  the  19th  of  March  last.  I 
did  not,  however,  act  upon  the  sole  authority  of  report  or  notoriety, 
more  than  sufficient  as  they  are,  when  sufficiently  credible  to  justify 
military  movements.  It  was  not  till  an  American  merchant, 
resident  at  St.  Thomas,  had  been  robbed  of  property  to  a  considerable 
amount,  in  one  of  these  marauding  expeditions,  traced  upon  credi- 
ble information,  to  Foxardo  3  nor  till  after  an  officer  of  my  squadron 
who  had  landed,  in  the  most  peaceful  and  inoffensive  manner,  to  in- 
quire after  the  pirates  and  the  plunder,  had  been  treacherously 
seized,  and  disgracefully  treated  at  Foxardo,  that  I  determined  to 
land  and  make  an  impression  upon  that  place.  I  presume  no 
military  or  naval  man  is  to  be  blamed  for  acting  upon  credible  and 
circumstantial  information;  he  is  not  to  be  expected  to  wait  for 
either  legal  or  moral  certainty  of  proof.  The  necessity  and  pro- 
priety of  the  measure,  and  the  correctness  of  the  information,  upon 
which  I  proceeded,  are  amply  confirmed.  ^Tis  in  proof  that  the 
spontaneous  opinion  of  the  merchants  of  St.  Thomas,  and  of  the 
whole  squadron,  without  any  particular  communication  from  me,  was 
clear  and  decided,  not  only  for  the  necessity  and  propriety  of  the 
measure,  but  that  it  must  and  would  be  executed.  My  intentions 
were  as  clearly  inferred,  from  what  circumstances  decided  that  they 
ought  to  be,  as  if  I  had  fully  declared  them.  The  whole  course  and 
event  of  the  action  entirely  confirmed  every  anticipation. 

I  no  sooner  approached  the  harbor,  under  the  most  unequivocal 
demonstrations  of  the  real  character  of  my  squadron,  than  I  found  a 
party  no  wise  distinguishable  in  arms,  equipment  or  appearance  from 
the  pirates  usually  found  on  shore  ;  and  who,  in  the  instances  before 
mentioned,  had  attacked  Captain  Cassin  and  Lieuts. Kearney  and  New- 
ton ;  by  whom  their  villages  and  huts  had  been  burned  and  destroyed. 
This  party  stood  ready  with  two  guns  on  a  point  of  rock,  and  the 
instant  I  had   anchored,  without  one  act  of  hostility  or  menace  on 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         327 

my  part,  and  without  any  previous  parley  on  theirs,  commenced  hos- 
tilities by  training  the  guns  on  my  nearest  vessel ;  and  then  on 
the  boat  which  was  approaching  the  shore ;  and  nothing,  I  presume, 
but  the  perplexity  in  which  they  were  kept  between  the  two  objects 
prevented  them  from  firing  on  us.  They  dispersed  before  our  party 
reached  their  battery,  the  guns  of  which  we  spiked.  We  found  the 
village  entirely  deserted,  no  human  being  to  be  found  with  whom 
we  could  hold  parley.  When  it  is  recollected  that  I  had  established 
a  good  understanding  with  the  governors  of  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico ; 
and  was  acting  in  concert  with  them ;  had  remitted  to  their  juris- 
diction pirates  whom  we  had  taken,  and  who  had  been  punished  by 
the  local  government ;  when  all  this  was  known  and  notorious,  how 
could  I,  in  reason,  account  for  these  demonstrations  of  hostility,  im- 
mediately on  my  approach  to  the  harbor  of  Foxardo ;  and  for  the 
flight  of  the  party  at  the  battery  and  the  desertion  of  the  village  ? 
Was  I  not  authorized,  nay  bound,  to  conclude  from  these  circum- 
stances, taken  in  connection  with  the  infamous  character  of  the 
place,  that  it  was  a  piratical  establishment  ?  Did  it  not  require,  at 
any  rate,  further  investigation,  and  that  I  should  proceed  to  examine 
into  the  state  of  things  at  the  small  town  of  Foxardo  only  a  mile  or 
two  from  the  harbor  ?  Nothing  I  think  can  exceed  the  caution  and 
moderation  with  which  I  proceeded. 

A  flag  was  sent,  in  advance,  with  a  letter  addressed  to  a  sort  of 
inferior  magistrate  called  an  alcalde  ;  the  only  officer,  except  a  very 
low  and  disreputable  person,  called  the  captain  of  the  port,  who  was 
to  be  found  there.  As  we  followed  the  flag  into  the  interior,  the 
most  perfect  order  prevailed  among  our  troops ;  and  no  whisper  of 
complaint  has  been  heard  of  the  slightest  injury  to  the  persons  or 
property  of  the  inhabitants.  The  farther  we  advanced,  new  cir- 
cumstances of  suspicion  arose  to  confirm  all  we  had  heard  and  all  we 
had  inferred  from  what  we  saw  at  our  first  landing. 

There  was  the  same  irregular  assemblage  of  armed  men ;  equally 
equivocal  in  character  and  appearance  as  those  who  had  been  dis- 
persed at  the  battery ;  without  any  of  the  ordinary  badges  to  distin- 
guish them,  as  belonging  to  the  government  of  the  country;  and,  by 
their  causeless  hostility,  justifying  the  worst  suspicions  of  their 
character  and  intentions.  When  I  met  the  alcalde,  accompanied  by 
some  of  the  better  sort  from  the  town,  he  excused  himself  for  his  con- 
duct to  Lieuts.  Piatt  and  Ritchie,  as  having  been  under  compulsion 
from  others ;  and  this  was  repeated  to  Lieut.  Piatt  by  the  inter- 
preter and  another  person  in  the  alcalde's  train.  The  nature  of  the 
compulsion  and  the  persons  from  whom  it  proceeded,  were  not  ex- 
plained ;  and,  as  Lieut.  Piatt  declares,  there  appeared  some  strange 
mystery  about  the  transaction.     The  mystery  may,  perhaps,  be  very 


328         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

satisfactorily  cleared  up ;  when  it  is  recollected  that  Lieuts.  Piatt 
and  Ritchie,  at  their  former  visit,  had  at  first  been  received  by  the 
alcalde  with  civility  ;  but  that  the  rabble  was  extremely  exasperated 
against  them.  From  all  which,  connected  with  the  infamy  of  the 
place,  and  the  very  suspicious  conduct  and  appearance  of  the  people 
whom  we  encountered,  it  might  reasonably  enough  have  been  con- 
cluded that  the  pirates  were  strong,  both  in  numbers  and  influence, 
and  had  overawed  and  held  in  subjection  the  miserable  functionary 
who  bore  the  badge  without  the  substance  of  a  regularly  constituted 
authority;  whom  it  would  have  been  absurd  and  derogatory  to  any 
government  to.  have  treated  as  qualified  to  challenge  the  respect  due 
to  a  sovereign  in  the  person  of  his  representative. 

Then  was  not  here  presented,  a  clear  case  of  the  "jurisdiction  of 
Spain  ceasing  at  the  point,  where  her  weakness  failed  to  maintain 
her  authority  ?  "  What  possible  distinction  between  the  hostile 
appropriation  of  Spanish  territory,  and  Spanish  means  to  our  injury 
by  the  pirates  in  this  instance,  and  by  the  Seminoles  and  other 
savages  in  Florida  ?  In  truth,  every  circumstance,  and  every  reason, 
that  were  admitted  as  the  most  triumphant  justification  of  the 
course  pursued  in  the  campaign  in  Florida,  are  here  more  clear  and 
pronounced,  and  yet,  because  I  merely  displayed  my  force  on 
Spanish  territory,  by  way  of  intimidation,  exacted  an  apology  for  the 
past,  and  promise  of  amendment  for  the  future,  and  spiked  two  guns 
from  which,  on  leaving  the  harbor,  I  should  have  been  in  imminent 
danger  of  a  raking  fire,  from  a  lawless  banditti,  who  might  have 
secreted  themselves  from  pursuit  and  punishment;  for  this  I  have 
been  recalled  in  displeasure,  and  subjected  to  a  rigorous  and  penal 
prosecution,  notwithstanding  the  clear  proof  now  manifest  to  the 
court,  that  the  most  beneficial  consequences  had  resulted  from  this 
operation ;  that  instead  of  producing  any  impediment  to  the  service 
from  the  ill-will  and  irritation  either  of  the  authorities  or  inhabit- 
ants of  the  island,  it  served  to  awe  the  disaffected,  and  to  inspire 
universal  respect  for  our  arms  and  character. 

From  the  subsequent  correspondence  of  Lieut.  Sloat,  it  appears 
that  Governor  Torres  had  been  reported  to  have  dropped  some  hasty 
expressions  of  anger,  but  if  he  really  uttered  such,  it  was  a  momentary 
ebullition,  for  his  letter  to  Lieut.  Sloat  of  the  17th  of  March  last, 
sufficiently  demonstrates  his  good  will,  and  indeed  contains  warmer 
expressions  of  thanks  for  our  exertions,  than  are  to  be  found  in  any 
of  his  preceding  communications.  The  effect  upon  the  public  in 
general  was  decided  and  instantaneous,  indeed  the  increased  respect 
and  confidence  in  the  vigor,  determination  and  efficiency  of  our 
measures,  and  the  consequent  facilities  likely  to  be  obtained,  in  the 
pursuit  of  our  object,  exceeded  all  expectation.     The  public  honors 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  329 

bestowed  on  Lieut.  Piatt  at  Poaee,  only  forty  miles  from  Foxardo, 
and  expressly  on  account  of  the  share  he  had  borne  in  the  affair  of 
Foxardo,  may  give  some  idea  of  the  prevailing  sentiment. 

As  I  have  said,  nothing  could  exceed  the  astonishment  with  which 
I  received  an  intimation  of  the  displeasure  of  my  own  government. 
The  only  apprehension  I  entertained,  and  the  only  circumstance, 
having  the  remotest  tendency  to  self-reproach  in  the  whole  affair,  were 
that  I  had  fallen  too  far  short  of  the  point  to  which  my  authority 
would  have  reached,  and  to  which  my  duty,  under  existing  circum- 
stances, should  have  pushed  it,  that  I  had  too  scrupulously  and  in- 
discriminately applied  that  precept  of  the  divine  teacher,  which  is  so 
humanely  recommended  by  the  venerable  Grotius  in  mitigation  of 
the  rigors  of  war  ;  and  had  suffered  the  tares  to  grow,  where  there 
was  no  wheat  in  danger  of  being  rooted  up  with  them  ;  or  so  little, 
in  proportion,  that  it  must  necessarily  be  choked  by  the  tares;  that 
I  had  not  used  due  precaution  to  ascertain  that  there  were  even  ten 
righteous  persons  to  be  found  among  them  whom  I  encountered  at 
Foxardo.  Indeed,  if  I  were,  at  this  day,  under  trial  for  not  having 
seized  and  garrisoned,  or  destroyed  the  village  at  the  harbor,  and 
even  the  town  of  Foxardo,  as  pernicious  pirate  nests  ;  for  not  having 
arrested  and  made  prisoners  the  people ;  or  those  at  any  rate  who 
had  made  any  demonstrations  of  hostility ;  I  should  have  conceived 
myself  in  far  more  danger  of  censure,  for  having  left  undone  those 
things  which  I  ought  to  have  done,  than  now  for  doing  those  things 
which  I  ought  not  to  have  done.  My  best,  if  not  my  only  defense, 
in  such  case,  would  have  been  the  want  of  the  force,  and  the  means 
necessary  to  give  complete  effect  to  the  operation,  and  the  eventual 
benefits  resulting  from  the  actual  and  more  moderate  operation. 

Here  follows  a  recapitulation  of  the  events  at  Foxardo, 
and  a  further  reference  to  similar  cases,  which  is  omitted, 
not  being  strictly  necessary  to  give  an  understanding  of 
the  defense. 

*  *  *  *  The  war  against  the  pirates  in  the  West  In- 
dies, was  just  as  formally  declared,  as  any  of  our  preceding  wars  by 
land  or  sea,  except  the  late  war  with  England,  and  carried  with  it  all 
the  concomitants  and  incidents  of  a  public  war  ;  without  regard  to  the 
form  of  the  preliminaries,  or  the  circumstances  of  its  commencement. 
The  machine,  being  once  put  in  motion,  was  impelled  by  its  own  in- 
herent energies ;  without  the  help  of  proclamations  or  other  paper 
muniments.  A  naval  force  was  placed  by  congress,  at  the  disposal  of 
the  president,  to  be  employed  in  the  most  effectual  way,  according  to 
the  best  of  his  Judgment,  and  under  suitable  instructions  to  the  com- 
42 


330  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

manders,  to  repel  the  aggressions  and  depredations  of  the  pirates. 
Under  the  authority  of  this  act,  and  the  instructions  of  the  president, 
the  war  against  the  pirates  was  commenced  and  carried  on.  That  it 
was  a  regular  war,  against  public  enemies,  and  entitled,  not  only  to 
equal  but  to  greater  respect  from  other  nations,  than  ordinary  wars, 
is  clearly  established  by  reason  and  authority. 

Pirates  are  not  the  enemies  of  one  nation  only,  but  of  the  whole 
human  race,  and  all  civilized  nations  are  or  ought  to  be  in  league 
against  them.  There  can  in  the  nature  of  things  be  no  neutrals  in 
such  a  war.  As  I  have  before  remarked,  the  rights  of  war  in  gene- 
ral seem  to  have  been  derived,  for  the  most  part,  from  the  analogies 
of  war  against  pirates.  We  find  that  the  president,  in  his  message 
to  congress,  explaining  and  justifying  the  conduct  of  General  Jack- 
son towards  the  Spanish  authorities  in  Florida,  enumerates  (as  he 
had  before  done  in  regard  to  Amelia  island  and  Galveston)  their  en- 
couragement of  huccaneeriTi^ ^  as  one  of  the  enormities  which  had  for- 
feited their  neutral  character.  General  Jackson  himself,  in  his 
official  correspondence,  justifying  the  apparent  severity  of  his  pro- 
ceedings against  persons  claiming  Spanish  protection,  can  find  no 
more  emphatic  reprobation  of  their  character,  as  placing  them  and 
their  abettors  out  of  the  pale  of  the  law  of  nations,  and  as  justifying 
every  extremity  against  both,  than  to  denominate  them  land  pirates. 
Grotius,  as  I  have  remarked,  infers  belligerent  rights,  in  regard  to 
third  parties,  not  being  enemies,  from  the  analogous  right  to  destroy 
pirates,  though  to  the  danger  and  probable  damage  of  innocent  per- 
sons. 

If  the  question  rested  on  general  reason  and  authority,  it  would 
seem  to  be  settled  :  but  I  have  a  stronger  and  more  practical  warrant 
in  the  very  instructions  which  I  am  charged  with  having  violated, 
a  document  that  loses  none  of  the  authority  due  to  its  official  cha- 
racter from  having  been  signed  and  probably  indited  by  a  gentle- 
man whose  talents  and  learning  had  illustrated  a  high  judicial  station 
in  New  York  before  he  was  called  to  the  administration  of  the  navy 
department;  and  are  now  added  to  the  splendid  assemblage  of  the 
same  qualities  on  the  bench  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United 
States.  These  instructions  lay  down  the  doctrine  and  apply  it  to 
the  actual  case  in  terms  that  leave  not  the  shadow  of  a  doubt  of  the 
relations  in  which  I  was  to  hold  myself  as  well  towards  the  pirates 
as  the  Spanish  authorities  and  people. 

"  You  will  announce,"  says  my  letter  of  instructions,  "  your 
arrival  and  object  to  the  authorities,  civil  and  military,  of  the  island 
of  Cuba  ;  and  endeavor  to  obtain,  as  far  as  shall  be  practicable,  their 
cooperation^  or  at  least  their  favorable  and  friendly  support,  giving 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  331 

them  the  most  unequivocal  assurance,  that  your  sole  object  is  the 
destruction  of  pirates." 

"  The  system  of  piracy  which  has  grown  up  in  the  West  Indies, 
has  obviously  arisen  from  the  war  between  Spain  and  the  new  go- 
vernments, her  late  provinces  in  this  hemisphere;  and  from  the 
limited  force  in  the  islands,  and  their  sparse  population,  many  por- 
tions of  each  being  entirely  uninhabited  and  desolate,  to  which  the 
active  authority  of  the  government  does  not  extend. 

"It  is  understood  that  establishments  have  been  made  by  parties 
of  these  banditti  in  those  uninhabited  parts,  to  which  they  carry 
their  plunder  and  retreat  in  time  of  danger.  It  cannnot  be  pre- 
sumed that  the  government  of  any  island  will  afford  any  protection 
or  countenance  to  such  robbers.  It  may,  on  the  contrary,  confi- 
dently be  believed,  that  all  governments,  and  particularly  those  most 
exposed,  will  afford  all  means  in  their  power  for  their  suppression. 
Pirates  are  considered,  by  the  laws  of  nations,  the  enemies  of  the 
race.  It  is  the  duty  of  all  nations  to  put  them  down ;  and  none 
who  respect  their  own  character  or  interest  will  refuse  to  do  it, 
much  less  afford  them  an  asylum  and  protection.  The  ^nation  that 
makes  the  greatest  exertions  to  suppress  such  banditti  has  the  greatest 
merit.  In  making  such  exertions,  it  has  a  right  to  the  aid  of  every 
other  power,  to  the  extent  of  its  means,  and  to  the  enjoyment,  under 
its  sanction,  of  all  its  rights  in  the  pursuit  of  the  object.  In  the  case 
of  belligerents,  where  the  army  of  one  party  enters  the  territory  of 
a  neutral  power,  the  army  of  the  other  has  a  right  to  follow  it  there." 
In  the  case  of  pirates  the  right  of  the  armed  force  of  one  power  to 
follow  them  into  the  territory  of  another  is  more  complete.  In  re- 
gard to  pirates  there  is  no  neutral  party,  they  being  the  enemies  of 
the  human  race  all  nations  are  'parties  against  them  and  may  he  con- 
sidered as  allies."  I  lost  no  time  in  establishing  an  understanding 
with  the  governors  of  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico,  as  recommended  by 
these  instructions,  and  as  fully  appear  from  the  documents  accom- 
panying the  president's  message  to  congress,  December  2,  1823, 
before  referred  to.  From  these  it  has  been  seen  that  both  the  go- 
vernors recognized,  without  hesitation,  the  meritorious  character  of 
the  war ,  pledged  themselves  for  every  aid  and  cooperation  in  their 
power;  that,  in  various  instances,  they  did  cooperate,  and  actually 
received  prisoners,  taken  by  our  squadron,  both  at  sea  and  on  land, 
and  had  them  executed.  Thus  the  presumption,  upon  which  my  in- 
structions proceeded,  that  the  local  governments  of  these  islands  were 
to  be  considered  and  treated  as  allies,  in  a  regular  war,  was  confirmed 
and  consolidated  into  a  solemn  compact,  followed  by  all  the  practical 
and  open  evidences  of  alliance  and  common  cause. 


332         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

Here  the  Commodore  shows,  that  the  conduct  of  the 
inhabitants  of  Foxardo  required  him  to  use  energetic 
measures,  and  he  refers  to  our  committing  hostilities 
against  France,  without  a  declaration  of  war,  and  with  in- 
structions to  our  officers  not  more  stringent  than  his. 

*  *  *  *  I  shall  proceed  to  lay  down  a  few  simple 
rules  of  interpretation,  by  which  the  sense  in  which  I  so  clearly 
understood,  and  acted  upon  my  instructions,  may  be  demonstrated 
as  their  true  import  and  meaning. 

1.  The  reason  or  final  cause ;  the  main  end  to  be  accomplished, 
deserves  the  first  consideration.  Then  I  was  appointed  to  the  com- 
mand of  the  squadron,  "  for  the  purpose  of  repressing  piracy,  and 
affording  effectual  'protection  to  the  citizens  and  commerce  of  the 
United  States/'  I  am  told,  that  it  is  my  "  duty  to  protect  our 
commerce  against  all  unlawful  interruptions,  and  to  guard  the  rights, 
both  of  persons  and  property,  of  the  citizens  of  the  United  States, 
wherever  it  shall  become  necessary."  Such  is  the  final  cause  or 
end  of  the  argument;  and,  upon  that  did  General  Jackson  mainly 
rest  the  justification  of  his  operations  in  Florida,  when  he  appealed 
to  that  part  of  his  instructions  from  the  war  department,  which  re- 
commends "  a  speedy  and  successful  termination  of  the  war,  as 
being  required  by  the  honor  and  interest  of  the  United  States/'  and 
he  argues,  that  he  pursued  the  only  means,  by  which  he  could  have 
effectuated  such  intent;  and  that  the  intent,  both  general  and 
particular,  which  is  expressed  in  the  order,  justified  the  means ; 
these  means  being  in  themselves  entirely  conformable  to  the  estab- 
lished laws  and  usages  of  war.  The  means  by  which  I  was  to  have 
accomplished  the  object  of  my  command,  were  left  to  my  discretion, 
under  the  guidance  of  some  general  rules,  not  at  all  more  restrictive 
of  the  inherent  authority  of  my  station,  than  those  prescribed  to 
General  Jackson,  if  as  much  so.  The  limitations  of  my  authority, 
from  which  anything  like  a  prohibition  may  be  inferred,  are  ex- 
pressed in  two  clauses.  I  am,  in  the  first  place,  to  do  what?  "  where  a 
government  exists,  and  is  felt^  you  will  in  all  instances  respect  the 
local  authorities,  and  only  act  in  aid  of  and  cooperation  with  them  ;  " 
and  again,  "  in  no  case  are  you  at  liberty  to  pursue,  and  apprehend 
any  one,  after  having  been  forbidden  to  do  so,  hj  competent  authority 
of  the  local  government." 

Now  the  term  "government"  or  "local  government,"  certainly 
means  the  supreme  power  of  the  country ;  and  in  reference  to  the 
Spanish  islands,  means  the  several  provincial  governments  there 
established,  called  locals  in  contradistinction  to  the  government  of 
the  mother  country,  which  is  supreme  over  all.     It  cannot  be  pre- 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         333 

tended,  that  the  term  comprehends  the  inferior  magistrates  of  ob- 
scure towns  and  villages.  Then  this  government  must  not  only  exist 
but  must  be  felt,  and  felt  to  what  purpose,  and  to  what  extent  ? 
surely  to  no  less  than  to  maintain,  practically  and  efficiently,  its 
sovereign  and  active  authority  in  the  country,  to  the  purpose  and  to 
the  extent  of  holding  it  inviolate  from  the  common  enemy.  In  a 
preceding  part  of  the  instructions,  places,  to  which  the  "  active 
authority  of  the  government  does  not  extend,'*  are  spoken  of,  nor 
can  it  be  less  than  the  active  authority  of  the  government  in  any 
case,  that  I  was  bound  to  respect.  I  am  told  repeatedly,  in  my 
instructions,  that  I  am  to  'presume  that  the  Spanish  authorities  and 
people  will  make  common  cause  with  me,  and  cordially  cooperate 
with  me.  I  am  told  so  in  the  very  clause  which  requires  me  to 
respect  the  local  governments ;  and  strange  indeed  if  I  had  been 
required  to  respect  them  on  any  other  terms. 

*  I  *  *  Are  these  pirates  to  be  viewed  in  such  circum- 
stances as  either  "  Spanish  authorities  or  people"  in  the  sense  of  my 
instructions  ?  If  such  were  the  presumptions  upon  which  we  were  to 
act,  wecommittedinnumerable  transgressions,  in  the  instances  of  the 
several  piratical  establishments  broken  up  and  destroyed,  without  com- 
plaint, on  the  coast  of  Cuba,  as  before  mentioned.  But  the  meaning  of 
this  injunction  to  respect  the  local  authorities,  where  a  government  ex- 
ists and  is  felt,  is  decided  by  its  immediate  context ;  for  it  goes  on  to 
direct  that  I  shall  "  only  act  in  aid  of,  and  cooperation  with  them." 
Now  the  one  of  these  injunctions  is  just  as  obligatory  as  the  other. 
Them,  whom  I  am  to  "  respect,"  I  must  also  cooperate  with  and  aid; 
they  must  be  in  a  condition  to  challenge,  for  themselves,  both  or 
neither.  Then,  if  I  am  to  respect  the  people  and  authorities  of  the 
islands,  who  are  identified  in  character  and  conduct  with  the  pirates, 
I  must  also  "  act  in  aid  of,  and  cooperation  with  them,"  and  how  con- 
sistent this  may  be  with  the  main  end  and  aim  of  repressing  piracy 
and  affording  effectual  protection  to  the  commerce  and  citizens  of  the 
United  States,  needs  no  remark  to  illustrate.  When  I  am  told  that 
I  must  not  continue  the  pursuit  of  pirates  onshore  after  having  been 
forbidden  to  do  so  by  competent  authority  of  the  local  government, 
should  I  have  been  justified  in  accepting  the  prohibition  of  the 
pirates  themselves,  or  of  their  known  or  strongly  suspected  associates 
and  accessories,  as  from  such  competent  authority  ?  The  only  pro- 
hibition ever  received  by  me,  was  in  the  form  of  open  hostility  and 
resistance  ;  not  otherwise  to  be  accounted  for,  than  as  an  attack  upon 
the  suppressors,  and  a  defense  of  the  professors  of  piracy.  Lieut. 
Piatt  was  not  forbidden  the  pursuit  and  inquiry,  which  occasioned 
his  first  visit  to  Foxardo ;  but  he  was  at  first,  received  with  insidi- 


334  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

ous  civility  and  a  professed  respect  to  his  official  character  and  mis- 
sion, and  in  that  guise  was  conducted  to  the  town,  where  the 
treatment  he  afterwards  received,  was  equally  unaccountable,  on  any 
other  ground  than  that  of  the  people,  or  a  great  majority  of  them, 
making  common  cause  or  being  identified  with  the  pirates. 

I  am  further  directed,  if  "  the  crews  of  any  vessels,  which  I  have 
either  seen  engaged  in  acts  of  piracy,  or  have/ws^  cause  to  suspect  as 
being  of  that  character,  retreat  into  the  ports,  harbors  or  settled 
parts  of  the  islands,  I  may  enter  in  pursuit  of  them,  for  the  purpose 
of  aiding  the  local  authorities  or  people  as  the  case  may  be,  to  seize 
and  bring  the  offenders  to  justice,  previously  giving  notice  that  it  is 
my  sole  object."  Then  here  is  an  affirmative  direction  (not  neces- 
sary to  communicate  the  authority,  but  only  declaratory  of  an  au- 
thority already  inherent  to  my  command),  to  pursue  the  enemy  into 
the  ports,  harbors  and  settled  parts  of  the  islands ;  but  qualified  by 
a  limitation,  which  necessarily  supposes  the  presence  of  attthorities 
or  people,  who  have  the  will,  and  with  my  aid,  the  power  to 
seize  the  offenders  and  bring  them  to  justice.  But  suppose  no 
authorities  or  people  of  that  description  are  to  be  found;  and 
though  the  country  be  ever  so  thickly  settled,  it  is  occupied 
and  held  by  pirates  and  their  accessories,  who  exert  a  controlling 
influence  and  effective  power  over  the  district,  and  hold  what  people 
or  authorities  there  may  be  in  check,  or  in  close  alliance;  is  not  the 
hypothesis  upon  which  the  limitations  of  my  otherwise  absolute  au- 
thority are  expressly  founded  done  away,  and  is  not  such  authority 
consequently  left  in  its  pristine  force?  Is  there  any  possible  con- 
struction of  the  document,  that  could  require  of  me  to  aid  and  assist 
people  to  seize  and  bring  themselves  to  justice  ?  The  very  case  put 
by  my  instructions,  as  requiring  the  pursuit  of  the  piratical  crew 
was  presented.  I  had  just  cause,  more  than  to  suspect,  that  such  a 
crew,  which  had  robbed  an  ^^ American  citizen  "  at  St.  Thomas,  had 
retreated  with  their  plunder  to  Foxardo,  and  in  the  pursuit  of  them 
I  am  encountered  at  the  threshold  by  men  of  the  most  equivocal 
appearance,  who  stand  forward  to  resist  the  pursuers,  and  to  defend 
the  pursued,  without  parley  or  warning  of  any  kind.  Then,  was  I 
not  bound  to  conclude,  that  these  men  knew  what  they  were 
about,  and  that  the  defenders  and  the  persons  pursued  were  the 
same  ?  I  knew  to  a  certainty,  that  they  were  not,  and  in  the  nature 
of  things  could  not  be  acting  under  the  authority  of  the  local  govern- 
ment ;  but  I  had  the  strongest  grounds  to  presume,  that  they  were 
acting  against  it.  What  reason  had  I  to  presume,  that  they  had 
any  better  authority  than  the  pirates  who  fired  upon  Captain  Cassin, 
near  Cape  Blanco,  and  upon  Lieutenants  Kearney  and  Newton,  at 


Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter.  335 

Cape  Cruz ',  and  who  on  other  occasions  and  at  other  places  com- 
mitted the  like  violence ;  and  upon  being  pursued  to  the  interior 
were  found  to  be  settled  in  fishing  villages,  defended  by  cannon 
advantageously  posted-on  the  rocks  ? 

It  seems  to  me  plainly  impossible  to  construe  my  instructions,  as 
a  prohibition  of  the  operation  upon  Foxardo,  consistently  either  with 
their  context  or  with  the  prominent  and  declared  reason,  or  final 
cause  of  the  course  of  service  which  they  prescribed.  A  learned 
and  judicious  author  has  said  that  "  the  nature  of  every  law  must  be 
judged  of  by  the  end  for  which  it  was  made  and  by  the  aptness  of 
things  therein  prescribed,  unto  the  same  end  : "  a  rule  which  abso- 
lutely concludes  the  present  question. 

Here  the  Commodore  compares  his  orders  with  those 
under  which  »Tackson  acted,  and  refers  to  the  policy  of  the 
government  at  that  time,  which  was  in  favor  of  acquiring 
Florida  by  any  means,  showing  conclusively  that  a  prac- 
tical construction  was  given  to  his  orders  by  the  toleration 
by  our  government  and  that  of  the  Spanish  West  Indies 
of  the  constant  landing  of  our  forces  on  those  islands,  the 
capture  of  the  pirates  on  shore,  destruction  of  their  houses 
and  goods,  and  delivery  of  their  persons  to  the  Spanish 
authorities. 

*  *  *  *  A  practical  construction  is  given  to  my 
orders,  by  the  toleration  of  all  our  previous  descents  upon  Cuba, 
followed  by  the  destruction  of  settlements  having  all  the  appearance 
of  innocent  fishing  villages ;  and  which  were  nevertheless  found  to 
belong  to  pirates  in  disguise.  It  has  been  seen  how  far  the  arts  of 
deception  were  carried  on  the  coast  of  Cuba;  where  the  spectacle 
was  presented  of  old  men  "  with  bald  heads  and  hoary  locks  exposed 
to  view,"  like  the  venerable  sires  of  a  peaceful  and  innocent  gene- 
ration of  fishermen,  and  of  matrons  as  if  present,  either  to  implore 
protection  for  themselves  and  helpless  off"spring,  or,  according  to  the 
account  of  one  officer,  like  a  celebrated  heroine  of  a  modern  romance 
by  their  exhortations  and  example  to  inspire  their  husbands  and  sons 
to  defend  or  avenge  their  homes  and  altars ;  but  where  all  these 
plausible  and  imposing  appearances  proved  to  be  only  deceitful 
covers  to  the  most  atrocious  of  piratical  establishments ;  for  the 
utter  extinction  of  which,  upon  no  other  warrant  or  authority  than  the 
discretion  of  the  officers  sent  in  pursuit  of  pirates,  and  acting  upon  the 
evidences  and  presumptions  by  which  their  conduct  was  to  be  deter- 
mined in  every  new  exigency  of  the  service,  these  officers  had 
received  the  approbation  and  applause  of  the  government  and  the 


336         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

country.  Then  if  it  were  lawful  to  seize  and  chain  these  modern 
Proteii,  on  one  shore,  why  not  on  another  equally  the  theatre  of 
their  frauds  ?  Had  they  possessed  the  fabled  spirit  of  prophecy, 
ascribed  to  their  ancient  prototype,  it  must  have  puzzled  themselves 
to  divine  how  I  could  have  incurred  the  displeasure,  either  of  the 
Spanish  government  or  my  own,  by  pursuing  them  on  the  coast  of 
Porto  Rico,  any  more  than  on  that  of  Cuba ;  at  Foxardo  any  more 
than  at  Cayo  Blanco  or  Cape  Cruz ;  as  before  practiced,  without 
censure  or  question,  in  former  instances. 

But  suppose  I  have  failed  to  establish  the  construction  of  my 
orders,  as  understood  by  myself  and  now  explained,  does  it  follow 
that  I  am  guilty  of  any  disohedience  of  orders^  under  the  naval  arti- 
cles of  war  ?  The  negative  may  be  clearly  maintained  on  two 
grounds. 

1.  The  naval  articles  of  war  look  only  to  orders  given  by  a  supe- 
rior officer  in  immediate  command ;  not  to  general  instructions  from 
the  government,  the  observance  of  which,  it  is  supposed,  the  govern- 
ment has,  in  its  own  hands  the  means  of  enforcing. 

2.  The  instructions  are  discretionary ;  and  no  officer  can  be 
charged  with  the  breach  of  a  discretionary  order  unless  he  wilfully 
and  corruptly  misconstrue  and  prevent  it.  For  no  mistake  of  judg- 
ment can  be,  in  the  nature  of  things,  punishable.  Here  is  the  law 
of  nations  laid  down  to  me  in  my  instructions ;  to  be  applied  in  a 
great  variety  of  supposed  circumstances,  to  facts  as  they  arise. 

To  bring  me  within  the  scope  of  this  most  penal  charge,  it  must 
appear  that  I  was  either  positively  ordered  to  do  something  that 
I  omitted,  or  positively  forbidden  to  do  something  that  I  did  ;  or 
that,  under  pretense  of  executing  a  discretionary  authority,  I  corruptly 
or  maliciously  abused  it.         *         *         *         * 

le  second  charge,  "  Insubordinate  conduct,  and  con- 
duct unbecoming  an  officer,"  is  scarcely  worth  noticing. 
Commodore  Porter  remarks  in  relation  to  this  charge  : 

*  *  *  *  Voluminous  masses  of  documents,  con- 
sisting of  a  miscellaneous  correspondence,  and  a  printed  pamphlet  of 
more  than  a  hundred  pages,  were  produced  in  evidence,  under  the 
several  specifications,  and  indiscriminately  read  from  beginning  to 
end,  without  any  specific  designation  or  reference  whatever  to  the 
passages  or  circumstances,  wherein  the  ofi"ensive  matter  was  sup- 
posed to  consist,  with  the  single  exception  of  the  alleged  omissions, 
deficiencies  and  verbal  inaccuracies  charged  upon  that  part  of  my 
pamphlet  which  purports  to  set  out  the  proceedings  of  the  court  of 
inquiry,  which  were  indeed  vouchsafed  after  the  trial  had  proceeded 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         337 

for  more  than  a  fortnight.  Additional  masses,  little  less  voluminous, 
of  documents,  and  other  collateral  evidence  have  been  introduced, 
and  in  like  manner  read  from  beginning  to  end,  without  the  slight- 
set  intimation  of  the  charge  or  the  specification  to  which  they  are  to 
be  applied,  far  less  the  bearing  they  were  supposed  to  have  on  any 
point  of  the  accusation,  or  of  the  purpose  or  object  of  their  introduc- 
tion. 

*  *  *  *  I  have  already  remarked  that  I  am  not 
called  upon  to  explain,  or  justify  the  tone  of  complaint  indicated  by 
the  correspondence  now  produced,  but  I  should  be  at  no  loss  to 
specify  such  reasons,  as  upon  the  coolest  reflection,  I  still  think  well 
founded.  The  manner  of  my  recall,  so  incommensurate  as  I  then  knew 
and  still  know,  with  the  merits  of  my  conduct,  which,  if  it  had  been  as 
well  understood  then,  as  it  must  be  now,  I  verily  believe  would  have 
received  applause  instead  of  censure ;  the  inequality  of  the  treat- 
ment I  received,  and  that  extended  to  others  under  like  circum- 
stances ;  the  continuing  to  hold  me  up  as  an  ambiguous  object  of 
denunciation  and  calumny,  or  of  indefinite  suspicion,  without  in- 
vestigation, after  I  had  tendered  myself  prepared  for  the  investiga- 
tion to  which  I  had  been  cited,  were  all  circumstances  that  bore 
hard  upon  my  thoughts.  The  magnanimous  and  triumphant  sup- 
port given  to  General  Jackson,  against  a  heavy  and  menacing 
cloud  of  discontent,  the  delicate  treatment  of  Captain  Cassin  (as  ex- 
plained in  the  order  of  the  navy  department,  to  me  of  the  9th  of 
April,  1823),  who  had  the  option  to  come  home  and  explain  his 
conduct,  or  to  transmit  a  written  explanation  against  grievous  com- 
plaints (severe  and  unjust  as  they  were),  of  the  Spanish  minister, 
altogether  presented  so  strong  a  contrast  to  the  manner  and  circum- 
stances of  my  recall,  as  convinced  me  that  I  had,  in  some  way, 
forfeited  the  favor  of  the  administration.  Nor  did  the  administra- 
tion appear  so  instantly  and  spontaneously  struck  with  the  enormity 
of  my  transgression  at  Foxardo  as  to  account  for  my  severe  treat- 
ment, for  my  ofl&cial  report  of  the  transaction  lay  unnoticed  in  the 
navy  department  for  more  than  three  weeks  after  it  had  been  received 
and  my  letter  of  recall  bears  date  on  the  very  day  that  the  inquiry 
of  the  afi'air  was  moved  in  congress.  It  was  my  misfortune  and  not 
vaj  fault  if  any  circumstances  made  it  impolitic  or  in  any  manner 
inexpedient  or  unpleasant  for  the  administration  to  stand  the  brunt 
of  another  congressional  inquiry,  or  if,  from  my  want  of  favor  or 
official  or  personal  importance  or  influence,  there  were  no  adequate 
motives  to  bring  forward  on  their  responsibility  the  justification  which 
I  could  so  easily  have  supplied. 

'Tis  true  the  secretary's  letter  to  me  (April  20,  1825),  seems  will- 
43 


338  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

ing  to  ease  off  the  weight  of  the  blow  by  mixing  up  other  causes  for 
my  recall.  I  had  indeed  intimated  a  conditional  wish  to  be  relieved 
from  the  command,  but  I  could  never  have  inferred  from  my  letter 
of  recall,  that  it  was  in  any  degree  caused  by  such  intimation.  Be- 
sides if  that  recall  had  proceeded  at  all  from  a  disposition  to  gratify 
my  particular  wishes,  why  was  it  not  so  announced  ?  Why  was  it 
promulgated  as  resulting  solely  from  the  necessity  under  which  I 
was  laid  to  justify  my  conduct?  Why  was  the  matter  left  for  four 
months  in  equivocal  suspension  infinitely  more  penal  than  express 
disapprobation  or  determinate  accusation  ?  No  reason  has  been  as- 
signed or  can  be  fairly  conjectured,  even  to  this  day,  for  having  so 
long  postponed  my  repeated  and  pressing  instances  for  a  speedy  and 
effectual  investigation. 

I  take  this  occasion  to  say  that  I  should  despise  myself  if  I  were 
capable  of  an  insult  or  rudeness  to  gentlemen  to  whom  I  stood  in  my 
then  or  present  relation  to  the  president,  and  secretary  of  the  navy. 
I  should  hold  it  as  unmanly  as  to  stand  mute  and  awe  struck,  when 
I  conceived  myself  justly  entitled  to  complain.  If  any  passage  of 
my  letters  could  reasonably  have  borne  such  a  construction,  I  should 
have  been  grieved  and  have  instantaneously  disavowed  this  inference. 
On  the  other  hand  I  am  not  sensible  of  any  impropriety  in  the  mat- 
ter or  the  manner  of  my  letters  for  which  I  can  be  censured  by  a 
court  martial,  without  exacting  from  the  oflBcers  of  the  navy  the 
basest  servility,  without  condemning  them  to  a  pusillanimous  silence 
under  the  strongest  sense  of  injury,  or  to  cringe  at  the  doors  of  de- 
partments and  bureaus  for  justice. 

I  have  discussed  thus  generally  the  merits  of  these  letters  because 
the  generality  and  vaguenesss  of  the  accusation  enabled  me  not  to 
be  more  particular.  The  letters  as  simply  referred  to  by  their  dates 
in  the  specifications  have  been  produced  and  read  without  the 
slightest  intimation  of  the  exceptionable  passages,  or  of  the  person 
against  whose  dignity  or  feelings  they  transgressed,  or  wherein  the 
offensiveness  of  them  consisted.  I  must  therefore  leave  it  to  others 
to  discover  or  conjecture  which  of  them  or  what  part  of  them  an 
ofiicer  of  the  navy,  who  honestly  thinks  himself  aggrieved,  dare  not 
address  to  those  who  owe  the  duty  and  possess  the  means  to  re- 
dress him. 

*  *  *  *  Having  gone  through  all  the  stated  charges 
and  specifications  it  seems  I  am  called  on  to  answer  some  collateral 
matter  having  no  manner  of  connection  with  the  real  merits  of  any 
question  involved  in  the  present  trial,  unless  it  be  supposed  to  be  a 
legitimate  mode  of  attack  to  eke  out  the  details  of  the  existing 
charges  and  evidence  by  throwing  the  weight  of  an  eminent  man's 
character  and  opinion  into  the  scale  against  me.     But  I  have  never 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         339 

made  it  my  ambition  to  bask  in  the  smiles  of  power  nor  to  rest  my 
hopes  of  preferment  to  court  such  favor  by  any  unmanly  tone  of 
adulation  or  subserviency.  I  have  always  considered  my  life  and 
services  as  dedicated  to  my  country,  and  myself  as  the  servant  of 
the  nation,  though  undoubtedly  responsible  directly  to  the  govern- 
ment, and  bound  not  only  to  implicit  obedience  to  all  lawful  com- 
mands, but  to  all  proper  deference  and  respect  in  my  official  and 
personal  intercourse  ;  and  indeed  deriving  heartfelt  enjoyment  when 
such  intercourse  gave  me  an  opportunity  to  cultivate  the  friendship 
of  great  and  good  men,  whose  talents  and  virtues  had  raised  them  to 
power.  Upon  these  principles  I  feel  less  mortij&ed  than  might  have 
been  supposed  at  the  present  attempt  to  raise  any  prejudice  against 
me  by  the  introduction  of  this  extraneous  matter ;  and  I  think  too 
highly  of  this  court  to  apprehend  any  unfavorable  influence  from  it 
upon  the  merits  of  my  cause. 

Only  a  part  of  this  defense  was  read  to  the  court.  Com- 
modore Porter  had  been  expected  to  present  a  written 
copy  for  their  inspection  before  delivering  it,  but  he  com- 
menced the  address  orally  on  the  ground  that  he  had  not 
time  to  prepare  a  copy.  The  court  permitted  the  reading 
of  the  defense  to  continue  for  three  days,  at  the  end  of 
which  time  they  informed  the  Commodore  that  if  he  did 
not  produce  a  copy  the  next  morning,  they  would  proceed 
to  decide  upon  the  evidence  without  it,  and  as  he  did  not 
supply  them  with  a  copy  on  the  following  day  they  pro- 
ceeded to  judgment.  The  regulations  of  the  navy  required 
that  the  defense  should  be  submitted  to  the.  court  before 
being  read,  and  why  this  was  not  complied  with,  or  why 
the  court  allowed  the  reading  to  continue,  does  not  appear, 
but  ha^'ing  once  permitted  the  defense  to  commence  and 
continue  for  several  days,  then  to  make  objections  and 
proceed  to  judgment,  without  complying  with  the  regula- 
tions as  regards  a  written  defense  is  inexplicable.  It  is 
not  easy  to  obtain  all  the  facts  of  the  case,  nor  the  reasons 
for  actions  which  now  appear  mysterious  ;  but  if  the  court 
had  pursued  a  consistent  course,  it  is  fair  to  suppose  that 
most  of  the  events  would  have  been  plain  enough  which 
now  seem  inexplicable. 

"When  it  is  recollected  how  impossible  it  was  for  the  ac- 
cused to  anticipate  the  particular  charges  of  the  original 
accusation,  and  how  deliberately  the  different  points  of  at- 


340  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

tack  were  unfolded,  which  had  been  kept  out  of  sight  until 
the  beginning  of  the  trial,  it  will  appear  as  if  a  deliberate 
attempt  was  made  to  overwhelm  the  Commodore  with  ac- 
cumulated evidence,  without  giving  him  any  opportunity 
for  rebuttal.  After  the  court  had  closed  its  doors,  and 
retired  into  conclave  to  deliberate  on  the  final  sentence, 
new  articles  and  particulars  had  been  elaborated  from  the 
undigested  mass  of  papers  thrown  promiscuously  upon  the 
table. 

In  addition  to  the  unjust  verdict  rendered  by  the  court, 
after  referring  to  their  own  leniency  in  dealing  with  the 
accused,  they  undertook  to  censure  the  latter,  on  the 
ground  that  his  defense  was  delivered  orally  from  notes 
under  the  appearance  of  reading  it ;  an  oral  defense  being, 
in  the  opinion  of  the  court,  a  violation  of  all  rule  and  pre- 
cedent. As  to  the  censures,  it  is  positively  denied  that  an 
oral  defense  is  any  such  violation  of  rule  and  precedent ; 
it  is  asserted,  on  the  contrary,  to  be  at  the  election  of  the 
accused,  to  present  his  defense  either  written  or  oral ;  and 
this  is  asserted  upon  the  clearest  authorities,  both  English 
and  American.  The  rule  is  laid  down  by  Mr.  Tytler  and 
General  Macomb,  in  nearly  the  same  terms,  as  follows  : 
"  When  the  evidence  in  support  of  the  charges  is  closed, 
the  prisoner  may  submit  to  the  court,  either  verbally  or  in 
writing,  a  general  statement  of  these  defenses  which  he 
means  to  support  by  evidence.  When  the  whole  evidence 
on  both  sides  is  closed,  the  prisoner  may,  if  he  think  pro- 
per, demand  leave  of  the  court  to  sum  up,  either  verbally 
or  in  a  written  statement,  the  general  matter  of  his  defense  ', 
and  to  bring  into  one  view  the  import  of  the  proof  of  the 
charges ;  with  such  observations  as  he  conceives  are  fitted 
to  weaken  its  force ;  and  the  result  of  the  evidence  in  de- 
fense, aided  by  any  arguments  that  are  capable  of  giving 
it  weight." 

But  if  it  were  otherwise,  the  proper  time  to  have  cor- 
rected the  irregularity,  was  when  it  was  committed ; 
having  submitted  to  it  then,  however  reluctantly  (the 
reluctance  being  entirely  confined  to  the  breasts  of  those  who 
felt  it,  without  the  slightest  intimation  of  it  to  the  ofi'end- 
ing  party),  it  was  strange  it  should  afterwards  be  found 
fault  with ;  and  certainly  it  is  no  satisfactory  answer,  to 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         341 

say  that  it  was  mixed  np  with  other,  and  distinct  topics  of 
censure  merely  to  enhance  the  gravamen. 

So  much  for  the  defense,  which  is  a  full  vindication  of 
Commodore  Porter's  conduct. 

The  court,  after  deliberate  consideration,  found  the 
Commodore  guilty  of  both  the  charges,  and  their  specifi- 
cations, but  unfortunately  for  their  own  reputations  for 
impartiality  they  say:  "  In  deciding  upon  the  first  charge 
and  the  specification  under  it,  the  court,  however,  feels 
itself  called  upon,  to  ascribe  the  conduct  of  the  accused, 
which  is  deemed  censurable,  to  an  anxious  disposition,  on 
his  part,  to  maintain  the  honor  and  advance  the  interest  of  the 
nation  and  of  the  service;  and  the  court,  therefore,  sentence 
and  adjudge  the  said  Captain  David  Porter,  to  be  sus- 
pended for  the  term  of  six  months  from  the  date  thereof." 

If,  by  the  preamble  to  the  sentence,  the  court  sought  to 
avert  public  indignation  for  their  being  led  by  men  tem- 
porarily in  power,  to  inflict  an  unjust  sentence,  they 
failed  in  their  object,  for  they  gained  nothing  by  it  except 
severe  criticism;  and,  perhaps,  no  event  of  Mr.  Adams's 
administration  gave  less  satisfaction  to  the  public,  than 
the  proceedings  against  Commodore  Porter.  Of  course, 
some  of  the  partizan  press  took  up  the  cause  of  the  admin- 
istration, and  approved  of  the  finding  and  sentence  of  the 
court,  but  such  newspapers  were  in  a  small  minority,  for 
whatever  may  be  the  tendency  of  politicians  and  political 
papers  to  decry  whatever  appears  to  stand  in  the  way  of 
success  to  the  parti/,  very  few  could  be  found,  in  this  in- 
stance, to  support  the  administration  in  its  policy  of  sacri- 
ficing a  brave  officer,  to  appease  the  anger  of  a  feeble 
government,  which  the  American  people  held  in  contempt, 
and  from  which  they  had  nothing  to  fear. 

It  was  felt,  by  a  majority  of  people,  that  the  United 
States  had  been  humiliated  by  Commodore  Porter's  sen- 
tence, and  our  hurry  to  apologize  to  Spain,  when  she  had 
not  even  asked  an  explanation ;  and,  in  fact,  owed  us  one, 
for  her  treatment  of  an  American  officer  and  citizen.  But 
it  would  appear  that  naval  officers  are  not  citizens,  in  the 
common  acceptation  of  the  term.  Had  the  victim  at  Fox- 
ardo  been  the  consul  of  some  small  port,  appointed  for  his 
political  services,  and  who  had  taken  advantage  of  his 


342         MBMOtR  OP  Commodore  David  Porter. 

official  position  to  violate  the  laws  of  Spain,  the  whole 
country  would  have  been  up  in  arms  at  the  outrage,  for 
the  politician  is  the  link  in  the  chain  which  supports  the 
head  centre  in  office,  while  the  naval  officer  is  a  paid  mer- 
cenary,/ooc? /or  poz(;(ier  and  a  jit  subject  for  indignities. 

"While  the  United  States  government  was  doing  all  in 
its  power  to  degrade  a  faithful  officer,  for  the  performance 
of  his  duties,  the  governors  of  Porto  Rico  and  St.  Thomas 
were  publicly  approving  his  conduct,  and  it  was  a  pity 
that  the  American  government  had  not  waited  a  little 
longer ;  in  which  case,  it  is  probable  Spain  would  have 
been  as  anxious  to  disavow  the  acts  of  their  piratical 
alcalde,  as  the  United  States  had  been  to  deprecate  her 
displeasure ;  for  while  the  secretary  of  the  navy  was  pro- 
mulgating a  sentence,  which  was  really  the  highest 
compliment  Commodore  Porter  ever  received.  Governor 
Torres  of  Porto  Rico  was  issuing  a  general  order,  calling 
upon  all  his  subordinates  to  give  every  aid  to  the  Ameri- 
can navy.  The  governor  directs  "  that  American  officers, 
in  pursuit  of  pirates,  shall  be  privileged  to  all  ports,  harbors, 
anchorages,  etc.,  which  they  may  think  proper  to  enter; 
and  that  all  authorities  will  give  them  necessary  aid  and 
notifications  for  discovering  them,  and  in  case  of  meeting 
them  the  civil  and  military  authorities  will  join  themselves 
with  the  said  American  officers,  to  pursue  the  pirates  by 
land  and  sea."  The  governor  says,  "  that  from  the  known 
zeal  of  the  authorities  referred  to,  that  they  will  display 
the  greatest  energy  and  activity  in  this  important  service, 
for  the  extermination  of  the  vile  rabble  which  disgraces 
humanity." 

In  the  mean  time,  the  governor  had  removed  the  offend- 
ing alcalde  from  office ;  although  his  successor  was  not  a 
model  of  virtue,  being  willing  enough  to  encourage  piracy, 
according  to  the  custom  among  officials  of  the  lower  class 
in  the  Spanish  West  Indies,  who  did  not  by  any  means 
believe  with  Franklin  that  honesty  is  the  best  policy. 

The  real  motive  for  the  action  of  our  government,  in  the 
case  of  Commodore  Porter,  will  probably  never  be  known. 
It  certainly  conferred  no  honor  upon  the  administration, 
which,  though  remarkable  for  strict  economy  of  the  public 
money  and  known  to  be  possessed  of  statesmanlike  quali- 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         343 

ties,  was  not  careful,  in  this  instance,  of  the  rights  of  our 
citizens  abroad. 

Commodore  Porter  was  not  constituted  to  bear  with 
equanimity,  what  he  considered  degradation.  He  had  ex- 
pected a  complete  vindication  of  his  course,  at  the  hands  of 
a  court  composed  of  his  brother  officers,  who  could  under- 
stand better  than  a  civilian  the  merits  of  the  case ;  par- 
ticularly a  civilian,  who,  although  possessed  of  some  of  the 
high  attributes  which  should  characterize  the  head  of  the 
naval  establishment,  was  certainly  not  an  impartial  judge. 
The  whole  affair  looks  as  if  the  object  had  been  to  find  an 
excuse  to  deprive  Commodore  Porter  of  his  command,  and 
to  do  this,  it  was  necessary  to  have  him  censured  by  a 
court  of  his  brethren  in  arms.  There  was  a  spirit  of  per- 
secution running  through  the  whole  course  of  this  trial, 
from  the  conduct  of  the  judge  advocate,  who  charged  the 
Commodore  in  every  case  with  some  heinous  offense,  as 
"  scandalous  falsehood,"  "  forged  letters,"  "  malicious, 
false  and  scandalous  libels,"  etc.,  to  the  anonymous  fabrica- 
tions of  the  same  hand,  "that  a  personal  appeal  had  been 
made  to  him  to  drop  the  charges,  said  to  have  been  fol- 
lowed by  a  menace  in  case  he  refused  to  do  so."  Instead 
of  being  tried  by  the  officers  composing  the  court.  Com- 
modore Porter  was  really  tried  by  a  judge  advocate,  whose 
competency  he  denied,  and  tried ;  not  as  an  officer  who  had 
never  hesitated  to  peril  his  life  for  his  country,  and  who 
might  at  the  worst  be  guilty  of  an  error  in  judgment,  but 
as  a  criminal  upon  whom  it  was  necessary  to  cast  the 
greatest  obloquy. 

Many  years  have  passed  since  these  events  occurred, 
but  their  evil  effects  are  felt  to  this  day ;  in  the  destruction 
of  a  handsome  competency  and  a  happy  home ;  and  in  the 
scattering  of  a  large  and  dependent  family,  who  were 
called  upon  to  give  up  a  parent  who  became  an  alien  in 
foreign  lands,  to  enable  him  to  provide  for  their  support. 
Most  of  the  sons  entered  the  service  of  the  country,  where 
they  had  to  encounter  the  prejudices  and  animosities  of 
the  men,  who,  having  committed  injustice  in  the  trial  of 
Commodore  Porter,  pursued  the  same  course  towards  his 
descendants.  They  never  forgot  his  words,  that  "  he 
could  not  associate  with  those  who  were  led  away  by  men 
in  power  to  inflict  an  unrighteous  sentence." 


344         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

Time  has  gathered  all  the  actors  in  those  proceedings, 
court,  judge  advocate,  administration,  and  defendant,  to 
the  tomb ;  they  have  all  appeared  before  that  tribunal  where 
the  thoughts  and  motives  of  all  are  revealed. 

In  expressing  an  opinion,  as  to  the  result  of  the  revela- 
tion, I  would  proceed  cautiously,  as  one  is  apt  to  do, 
when  traveling  in  dim  twilight  over  unfamiliar  roads ;  but 
justice  is  one  of  the  great  attributes  of  Heaven,  and  we 
believe  the  scales  are  often  turned  there,  in  favor  of  the 
oppressed  on  earth.  This  is  putting  the  matter  as  mildly 
as  possible. 

Commodore  Porter  received  his  sentence  quietly,  and 
did  not  gratify  his  enemies  by  letting  them  see  he  felt 
their  injustice,  but  he  could  not  stand  what  he  considered 
degradation,  and  therefore  made  preparations  to  leave  the 
navy,  in  which  he  thought  he  could  no  longer  be  useful, 
and  where  he  would  be  constantly  coming  in  contact  with 
the  men  who  had  lent  themselves  to  his  apparent  disgrace, 
and  with  whom  he  could  no  longer  associate  as  brothers. 
True,  his  sentence  had  been  condemned  by  public  opinion, 
and  his  friends  considered  the  finding  of  the  court  a  high 
compliment;  and,  could  the  Commodore  have  subdued 
his  feelings,  and  taken  time  for  reflection,  he  might  have 
continued  for  many  years  an  ornament  to  the  service,  long 
after  those  who  had  been  so  active  in  persecuting  him,  had 
gone  to  their  graves,  or  to  the  oblivion  of  private  life  ;  but, 
unfortunately,  philosophic  patience  does  not  always  accom- 
pany a  proud,  energetic  and  honest  character,  and  an  offi- 
cer, governed  by  the  highest  motives,  cannot  bear  with 
unjust  censure  from  those  who  should  have  upheld  him, 
instead  of  being  blindly  led  at  the  dictation  of  men  in 
power.  The  Commodore  was  also  unduly  sensitive  with 
regard  to  attacks  from  the  press.  The  administration 
journals,  not  contented  with  the  fact  that  their  represent- 
atives in  power  had  sacrificed  him,  censured  all  the  oppo- 
sition papers  that  criticized  his  sentence,  and  tried  to  soil 
his  reputation  by  every  means  in  their  power. 

Had  the  Commodore  lived  to  our  days,  he  would  have 
seen  how^  the  people  can  place  a  man  on  the  highest  pe- 
destal, and  after  almost  worshiping  their  hero  for  a  season, 
hurl  him  from  his  eminence  and  pelt  him  with  filth  from 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         345 

the  gutter,  replacing  him  by  another  idol  whb  is  shortly  to 
share  a  similar  fate.  A  nation,  in  t]iis  respect,  too 
often  resembles  a  crowd  of  boys  who  labor  through  a 
winter's  day,  with  half  frozen  limbs,  to  raise  a  colossal 
image  of  snow,  and  when  finished  they  scarce  take  time  to 
admire  their  work  before  battering  it  to  pieces.  Such 
treatment  is  too  often  the  penalty  of  greatness.  The  higher 
a  man  ascends,  the  more  conspicuous  object  he  becomes 
for  detraction,  and  few  would  incur  the  penalty,  if  they 
could  anticipate  it,  even  for  the  highest  honors. 

It  is  a  singular  fact,  which,  though  probably  unknown 
to  Commodore  Porter,  is  now  a  niatter  of  history,  that 
the  head  of  the  administration  which  pursued  him  so 
relentlessly,  for  a  supposed  violation  of  the  neutrality 
of  Spain,  should  have  interposed  his  powerful  influence  to 
shield  General  Jackson,  at  the  time  of  his  celebrated  inva- 
sion of  Florida.  Of  all  the  members  of  Mr.  Monroe's 
cabinet,  Mr.  John  Q.  Adams,  then  secretary  of  state,  alone 
upheld  and  applauded  the  conduct  of  the  hero  of  E'ew 
Orleans,  and  it  is  certain  that  but  for  Mr.  Adams's  support, 
Jackson  would  have  been  recalled  and  treated  as  Com. 
Porter  was  subsequently  for  a  similar  "offense."  It  is 
plain  enough,  from  the  above  circumstances,  that  Mr. 
Adams  could  not  have  considered  the  Commodore's  con- 
duct at  Foxardo  otherwise  than  proper;  and,  consequently, 
the  only  real  charge  against  him,  so  far  as  the  administra- 
tion was  concerned,  falls  to  the  ground. 


44 


346  Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

W  HEIS"  Commodore  Porter  received  the  sentence  of 
the  court  martial,  he  was  the  father  of  eight  children,  who 
had  to  be  provided  for.  His  expenses  during  the  trial,  for 
counsel  fees,  etc.,  amounted  to  nearly  a  year's  pay  of  his 
grade,  which  at  that  period  was  very  small.  It  was  there- 
fore necessary  for  him  at  once  to  take  steps  to  better  his  con- 
dition, as  his  liberal  way  of  living  since  the  close  of  the  war, 
had  made  serious  inroads  upon  his  private  means,  and  com- 
pelled him  to  rely  upon  his  salary  in  a  great  measure  for 
his  support.  At  that  time,  the  war  between  Spain  and  the 
Spanish  American  republics — her  late  dependencies — was 
being  vigorously  prosecuted  on  both  sides,  and  unfortun- 
ately, the  tempter  stood  in  the  Commodore's  way  in  the 
shape  of  the  Mexican  minister,  who,  in  behalf  of  his  govern- 
ment, invited  him  to  assist  the  young  republic  to  gain, 
from  the  mother  country,  an  acknowledgment  of  her  in- 
dependence. The  Mexicans  had  a  small  force  of  naval 
vessels,  but  were  without  officers  or  seamen,  and  the 
national  exchequer  was  very  low. 

Commodore  Porter  having  been  sufficiently  punished 
to  gratify  Mr.  Adams's  administration,  they  offered  him  the 
hand  of  friendship,  and  evinced  no  further  hostility.  They 
had  shifted  whatever  odium  there  might  be  in  the  Foxardo 
affair,  from  their  own  shoulders  to  his,  by  a  sentence 
inflicted  by  brother  officers,  who  were  supposed  to  know 
all  the  merits  of  the  case,  and  to  deal  impartially ;  but  they 
now  found  that  they  had  committed  a  mistake,  and  that 
the  great  body  of  the  American  people  did  not  approve  of 
their  action.  In  fact  the  people  were  too  patriotic  to  wit- 
ness, unmoved,  the  degradation  of  one  of  the  nation's  most 
faithful  servants  for  "upholding  the  honor  of  the  flag;" 
for  the  country  had  arrived  at  the  point  where  its  tradi- 
tions ^ere  cherished  with  pride,  and  the  community  was 


Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter.         347 

anxious  to  keep  the  government  up  to  the  level  of  its  own 
independence.  The  feeling  towards  Spain  was  also  much 
as  it  is  at  present — a  disposition  to  rebuke  her  despotic 
acts,  and  teach  her  the  necessity  of  respecting  the  rights 
and  property  of  our  citizens. 

Daring  his  short  suspension,  the  government  placed  no 
restriction  upon  the  Commodore's  movements,  and  he 
asked  and  obtained  permission  to  absent  himself  from  the 
United  States,  with  the  design  of  proceeding  to  Mexico, 
and  seeing  for  himself  the  condition  of  affairs  and  whether 
there  were  sufficient  inducements  for  him  to  enter  the 
Mexican  service. 

At  that  time,  there  was  in  process  of  construction,  at 
New  York,  by  the  celebrated  naval  architect  Henry  Eck- 
ford,  who  afterwards  went  into  the  Turkish  service,  a  twenty- 
two  gun  brig  for  the  Mexican  navy,  called  the  Guerrero. 
The  Commodore  determined  to  take  passage  in  her  to 
Vera  Cruz.  A  number  of  young  officers  of  our  navy, 
wished  to  accompany  him,  but  he  dissuaded  most  of  them 
from  doing  so,  only  availing  himself  of  the  services  of  a 
sufficient  number  to  take  the  vessel  to  her  destination. 
On  the  29th  of  January,  1826,  he  writes  to  a  friend  :  "  I  am 
preparing  to  go  to  Mexico,  and  shall  be  absent  about  three 
months;  at  the  expiration  of  that  time  shall  be  better 
able  to  answer  your  inquiry.  There  is  scarcely  a  doubt  in 
my  mind,  that  I  shall  join  the  Mexicans,  but  I  shall  view 
the  ground  first." 

From  this  letter  it  appears,  that  the  Commodore  had 
not  yet  finally  concluded  to  resign  his  position  in  our  navy 
and  had  the  administration  been  just  enough  to  remit  his 
sentence,  he  would  never  have  left  the  service  to  which  he 
was  greatly  attached. 

The  Guerrero  at  length  sailed,  in  the  latter  part  of 
April,  1826,  in  command  of  the  Commodore's  nephew, 
Lieut.  David  H.  Porter;  passed  midshipman  Alexander 
Thompson,  and  Charles  Hawkins  went  out  as  watch  offi- 
cers; Dr.  Boardman  surgeon,  and  Mr.  Law  secretary. 
The  Commodore  also  took  with  him  his  two  sons,  boys  of 
the  respective  ages  of  ten  and  twelve  years.  All  these 
persons  expected  to  join  the  Mexican  navy  in  case  the 
Commodore  accepted  service  under  that  government.     He 


348  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

might  have  taken  with  him  half  the  young  officers  in  the 
navy  had  he  desired  to  do  so,  but  he  did  not  think  it  pro- 
per to  advise  any  one  to  join  his  fortunes  until  he  was 
certain  of  being  in  a  position  to  serve  them. 

On  his  arrival  at  Vera  Cruz  towards  the  end  of  May, 
1826,  the  Commodore  was  received  with  every  attention, 
and  the  Mexicans  were  highly  delighted  to  get  possession 
of  the  Guerrero,  which  was  a  valuable  addition  to  their 
little  navy. 

When  the  Spanish  government  received  intelligence 
that  Commodore  Porter  had  been  invited  by  the  Mexicans 
to  take  command  of  their  navy,  they  directed  their  minis- 
ter at  Washington  to  use  every  effort  to  prevent  it,  and  to 
offer  him  on  the  part  of  Spain  the  $60,000,  which  had  been 
wrongfully  withheld  in  1810,  by  the  consulado  at  Havana, 
and  to  which  we  have  previously  referred,  but  the  Com- 
modore indignantly  refused  to  accept  what  he  could  only 
consider  as  a  bribe,  although  the  large  amount  involved, 
would  have  made  him  independent.  Besides  his  ardent 
spirit  longed  for  action,  and  he  was  happy  at  the  opportu- 
nity of  giving  his  services  to  the  young  republic  fighting 
for  independence  against  an  unnatural  mother. 

The  Spanish  government  then  determined  to  prevent  his 
joining  the  Mexicans  if  possible,  by  capturing  the  brig  on  her 
way  to  Vera  Cruz,  and  the  Spanish  brig  of  war  Hercules  was 
therefore  directed  to  cruise  in  the  vicinity  and  try  to  inter- 
cept the  vessel  as  she  entered  the  harbor.  On  the  day 
previous  to  making  land,  a  brig  of  war  was  made  out  to 
the  northward  carrying  all  sail  in  chase.  The  Guerrero, 
under  top  gallant  sails,  stood  on  her  course  without  heed- 
ing the  stranger.  She  had  seventy  good  men,  who  were 
perfectly  willing  to  have  a  bout  with  the  Spaniards,  and 
though  only  six  men  to  a  gun  the  Hercules  would  have 
met  her  match,  but  on  coming  within  three  miles  of  the 
brig,  the  Spaniards  tacked  ship  and  stood  in  another 
direction,  while  the  Guerrero  soon  after  anchored  under 
the  guns  of  the  grim  fortress  of  San  Juan  de  Ulloa. 

As  soon  as  he  could  make  the  necessary  arrangements 
the  Commodore  started  on  horseback  for  the  city  of 
Mexico,  accompanied  by  Dr.  Boardman,  his  secretary,  Mr. 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         349 

Law,  an  English  supercargo,  the  Commodore's  two  sons 
and  a  couple  of  servants,  and  declining  an  escort  of  soldiers, 
under  the  impression  that  there  was  more  danger  of  being 
robbed  by  them  than  by  professional  banditti.  The  jour- 
ney was  long  and  fatiguing,  there  were  no  inns  deserving 
the  name,  nothing  to  eat  except  the  everlasting  national 
dish,  frijoles  and  tortillas,  and  nothing  to  drink  but 
pulque. 

The  first  day's  ride  to  Jalapa  over  the  hot  sand  was  very 
tedious ;  but  when  the  travelers  reached  this  beautiful 
place,  where  the  flowers  were  blooming  in  abundance, 
where  the  air  was  soft  and  refreshing,  and  where  they 
were  received  by  the  authorities  with  the  most  liberal  hos- 
pitality, all  their  toils  were  forgotten. 

After  resting  a  couple  of  days,  they  continued  on  their 
journey,  and  at  the  city  of  Puebla  were  again  the  recipients 
of  great  attention.  On  the  5th  of  June,  they  came  in  sight  of 
Tenochtitlan  (Mexico)  the  great  city  of  the  Aztecs,  formerly 
in  the  time  of  the  conquest  surrounded  by  Lake  Tezcuco, 
with  its  beautiful  floating  gardens.  The  lake  is  now  so 
diminished  by  draining,  that  it  is  several  miles  from  the 
city,  the  intervening  space  being  crossed  by  long  cause- 
ways. Here  the  party  halted  and  gazed  with  delight  on 
the  magnificent  landscape,  experiencing,  no  doubt,  some  of 
the  feelings  of  Cortez  and  his  companions,  when  they  first 
caught  sight  of  this  enchanting  scene.  In  the  afternoon, 
when  the  party  entered  the  city,  the  streets  were  filled 
with  the  luxurious  carriages  of  the  wealthy  classes,  and 
with  gay  cavaliers  dressed  in  the  national  costume,  all  pro- 
ceeding to  the  Alemeda,  where  the  elite  of  the  capital  assem- 
bled every  afternoon. 

The  grand  square,  beautiful  in  its  proportions,  the 
magnificent  cathedral,  the  spacious  streets,  numerous 
churches,  and  substantial  dwellings,  gave  an  idea  of  solid 
wealth  and  comfort,  and  impressed  the  Commodore  with 
the  idea,  that  here  of  all  others  was  the  place  to  spend  the 
remainder  of  his  days,  far  from  the  intrigues  of  the  petty 
politicians  whom  chance  or  a  vitiated  public  taste  had 
elevated  to  oflS.ce  in  Washington.  But  after  a  short 
sojourn  in  the  Mexican  capital,  he  found  that,  though  fair 
■  to  view,  it  contained  even  more  vicious  political  elements 


350         Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter. 

than  the  half-fledged  city  he  had  left  behind  him.  He 
now  became  the  guest  of  Joel  R.  Poinsett,  the  United 
States  minister,  who  it  will  be  recollected,  was  the  repre- 
sentative of  the  United  States  in  Chili  when  the  Essex  was 
captured,  in  the  port  of  Valparaiso,  at  which  time  a  life- 
long friendship  was  established  between  the  two  men. 

After  resting  for  a  couple  of  days  from  the  fatigues  of 
his  journey,  the  Commodore  called  at  the  ^N'ational  Palace, 
and  was  presented  by  Mr.  Poinsett  to  President  Victoria  and 
his  cabinet.  His  excellency  received  him  with  great  kind- 
ness, and  assured  him  in  the  most  flattering  manner,  that 
Mexico  would  warmly  welcome  him  among  her  defenders, 
if  he  would  consent  to  enter  the  service  of  the  republic. 
The  president  assured  him,  that  he  should  be  appointed  com- 
mander-in-chief of  their  little  navy,  and  placed  beyond  the 
control  of  every  one,  with  the  rank  of  general  of  marine  — 
equivalent  to  that  of  admiral  —  and  a  compensation  ade- 
quate to  his  position,  and  that  in  a  few  months  he  would 
receive  a  further  proof  of  their  regard,  by  the  gift  of  a  large 
tract  of  land  in  Texas,  by  way  of  compensating  him  for 
the  position  he  would  give  up  in  the  United  States  navy, 
and  that  there  were  further  views  with  regard  to  him 
which  would  not  be  made  known  to  him  then,  but  that 
the  Mexican  government  would  leave  nothing  undone  to 
compensate  him  for  leaving  his  native  country. 

These  honied  assurances  were  delivered  in  true  Mexican 
style,  by  the  secretary  of  state,  but  had  the  Commodore 
understood  the  character  of  the  people,  as  well  at  that  time 
as  he  did  subsequently,  he  would  have  declined  all  their 
offers  and  returned  at  once  to  the  United  States.  Truthful 
and  honorable  himself,  he  could  not,  for  a  moment,  believe 
that  the  Mexican  cabinet  was  cajoling  him  with  promises 
which  they  had  no  intention  of  fulfilling.  One  of  the 
members,  Seiior  Pedrassa,  minister  of  war  and  marine,  had 
taken  ground  against  Commodore  Porter  at  once  outside 
the  cabinet,  and  opposed  him  as  he  did  all  foreigners  who  de- 
sired to  enter  the  service  of  the  republic.  In  his  opinion 
Mexico  needed  no  assistance  to  achieve  her  independence, 
and  he  disliked  all  IsTorth  Americans.  Lopez,  the  com- 
mandant of  marine,  was  also  opposed  to  him.  This  person 
had  been  for  some  time  in  command  of  the  naval  forces, 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         351 

and  had  shown  little  ability  in  their  management.  He 
was  unwilling  to  be  superseded  by  an  experienced  officer, 
who  would  probably  throw  his  services  into  the  shade. 

The  Commodore  took  ten  days  to  consider  the  Mexican 
proposals,  and  had  a  hard  struggle  in  deciding  to  sever 
the  ties  which  bound  him  to  his  native  country  and  become 
a  citizen  of  another,  with  whose  language  and  customs  he 
was  unfamiliar ;  but  he  was  highly  delighted  with  all  he 
saw  in  the  beautiful  city  of  Mexico,  and  its  grateful  cli- 
mate (neither  too  warm  nor  too  cold),  and  charmed  with 
the  attention  of  the  people,  who  left  nothing  undone  to 
secure  him  as  one  of  their  defenders.  He  indulged  too, 
in  the  hope  that  here  he  should  find  a  resting  place  for 
himself  and  family,  and  perhaps  return  in  a  few  years  to 
his  native  land,  and  with  affluence  sufficient  to  make  all 
those  dependent  upon  him  comfortable  and  happy ;  Utopian 
dreams  never  to  be  realized.  Within  a  month  after  his 
arrival  he  found  that  his  advent  was  not  agreeable  to  a  ma- 
jority of  the  men  in  power,  but  he  relied  upon  the  honest  old 
president,  and  upon  the  influence  of  Mr.  Poinsett,  to  clear 
away  all  difficulties. 

During  the  time  allowed  him  to  accept  or  reject  the 
proposals  of  the  government,  the  Commodore  enjoyed  his 
excursions  around  the  city  and  its  environs,  forming  agree- 
able acquaintances  and  partaking  of  the  amusements  of 
the  Mexicans,  who,  in  spite  of  their  feebleness,  seemed  to 
be  the  happiest  people  he  had  ever  encountered.  A  few 
days  sojourn  however,  satisfied  him  that  for  political  in- 
trigue, Mexico  compared  to  Washington  was  as  Mount 
Orizaba  compared  to  a  level  plain,  and  it  was  wonderful 
how  people  so  ignorant  on  general  topics,  should  be  such 
masters  in  intrigue.  However,  the  obstacles  with  which 
he  now  plainly  saw  he  should  have  to  contend,  rather 
whetted  his  appetite,  for  he  was  fond  of  overcoming 
difficulties ;  and  within  the  ten  days,  he  notified  the 
government  that  'he  accepted  their  proposals.  The 
terms  were  as  follows :  he  was  to  be  commander-in-chief 
with  the  rank  of  general  of  marine  (admiral),  to  receive 
a  salary  of  $12,000  per  annum,  besides  perquisites;  to 
have  control  of  the  castle  of  San  Juan  de  Ulloa;  to  appoint 
such  officers  in  the  navy  as  he  might  think  proper,  and 


352         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

to  remove  such  as  he  considered  incompetent.  His  two 
sons,  who  had  accompanied  him  to  Mexico,  were  also  to 
receive  appointments  as  midshipmen  in  the  navy.  The 
Commodore  accordingly  sent  in  his  resignation  as  captain 
in  the  U.  S.  navy,  to  take  effect  August  18th,  1826  ;  and, 
as  soon  as  it  was  accepted,  he  considered  himself  regularly 
installed  in  the  Mexican  service.  Placing  his  sons  at 
school  in  the  city  of  Mexico,  and  bidding  the  many  friends 
he  had  made  at  the  capital  farewell,  he  returned  to  Vera 
Cruz  dfbout  the  1st  of  I^ovember  —  as  soon  as  the  yellow 
fever  had  abated  —  to  look  after  his  navy. 

From  the  beginning,  he  met  with  difficulty  in  procur- 
ing the  payment  of  his  salary.  The  Mexican  officials  did 
not,  at  that  time,  depend  much  upon  their  salaries,  which 
were  generally  very  small,  but  relied  on  perquisites 
established  hy  themselves.  The  customs  were  loosely  col- 
lected, and  only  a  small  amount  of  revenue  was  realized, 
which  was  mostly  devoted  to  paying  the  chiefs  of  depart- 
ments, and  to  paying  off  the  army,  which  last  was  unneces- 
sarily large. 

On  his  arrival  at  Vera  Cruz,  Commodore  Porter  found 
the  navy  in  a  very  dilapidated  condition.  It  consisted  of 
a  small  frigate,  the  Libertad  of  32  guns,  mostly  carronades, 
the  Guerrero,  previously  mentioned,  the  Victoria,  an  old 
brig  mounting  18  eighteen  pounders,  the  Bravo  brig  of 
14  twenty- four  pound  carronades,  the  Herman  a  small 
hermaphrodite  brig  of  5  guns,  and  two  small  gunboats 
stationed  at  Campeache.  There  was  no  dock  yard  of  any 
kind,  and  the  "  naval  store  depot "  was  undeserving  the 
name,  for  there  were  no  stores  of  any  kind  on  hand.  The 
vessels  were  all  in  a  dismantled  condition,  and  lay  under 
the  guns  of  the  fort,  like  so  many  old  hulks.  The  few 
officers  of  the  navy  were  of  the  poorest  kind,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  three  or  four  English  and  Americans  who  had 
sought  service  prior  to  the  Commodore's  arrival. 

The  first  step  was  to  put  the  old  frigate  Libertad  in 
commission,  the  Commodore  living  in  the  fortress  of  San 
Juan  while  the  repairs  were  progressing.  When  the 
ship  was  all  ataunto,  David  H.  Porter,  late  a  lieutenant  in 
the  United  States  navy,  was  appointed  to  command  her, 
and  a  crew  was  selected,  by  taking  the  best  men  from  all 


Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter.        353 

the  vessels.  In  the  meantime,  regulations  and  general 
orders  were  promulgated  for  the  maintenance  of  system 
and  discipline,  and  the  few  Mexican  officers  that  were  in 
the  navy,  began  at  once  to  look  upon  them  as  unwarrant- 
able innovations  on  long  established  custom.  These  per- 
sons had  been  taken  from  coasting  vessels,  and  in  some 
instances  from  the  army,  and  deserved  the  appellation  of 
horse  marines,  rather  than  that  of  naval  officers.  They  had 
not  even  the  faculty  of  imitation,  or  something  might  have 
been  made  out  of  them ;  but  it  was  hoped  that  when  the 
Libertad  should  be  completely  fitted  as  a  ship  of  war, 
that  the  Mexicans  would  profit  by  the  example,  and  en- 
deavor to  get  their  vessels  in  like  condition. 

Captain  Mechen,  the  commander  of  the  Victoria,  was  a 
fine  looking  old  Mexican,  and  the  only  one  who  seemed 
disposed  to  conform  to  the  new  regime,  but  he  found  it 
impossible  to  prevent  his  officers  from  playing  monte  on 
the  quarter  deck,  or  smoking  in  all  parts  of  the  ship,  wear- 
ing their  dressing  gowns  on  duty,  or  sitting  in  the  channels 
in  their  shirt  sleeves,  all  matters  which  of  course  would 
not  be  tolerated  in  a  properly  regulated  vessel  of  war. 

The  money,  for  which  requisition  had  been  made  to 
meet  the  expenses  of  the  squadron  was  slowly  forthcom- 
ing, and  when  it  did  arrive,  there  was  so  much  corruption 
among  the  disbursing  officers,  that  only  about-two  thirds  of 
it  reached  its  proper  destination.  The  experiment  was  tried 
of  placing  American  and  English  officers  on  board  the 
several  vessels,  as  executives,  and  Lieut.  Hawkins  was 
given  command  of  the  Herman.  This  created  quite  a 
commotion,  for  none  of  these  officers  could  speak  the 
Spanish  language,  nor  could  the  Mexicans  understand 
English;  but  by  means  of  interpreters  they  managed 
to  get  the  vessels  ready  for  service,  and  the  Guerrero, 
under  a  Mexican  captain,  put  to  sea  in  December,  with 
orders  to  cruise  on  the  coast  of  Cuba,  and  capture  and 
destroy  as  many  Spanish  merchant  vessels  as  possible. 
The  Mexican  commander  accordingly  made  the  best  of  his 
way  to  Pensacola,  where  he  remained  at  anchor  and  never 
performed,  a  particle  of  service  while  he  retained  the  com- 
mand. This  officer  was  next  in  command  to  Commodore 
Porter,  and  was  a  person  of  much  influence  at  headquar- 
45 


354  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

ters.  It  was  not  deemed  politic  to  displace  the  Mexicans 
at  once  from  command,  incompetent  as  some  of  tliem  were. 
It  was  desirous  to  gain  their  good  will,  and  make 
them  welcome  the  Americans  in  a  friendly  spirit ;  but  it 
may  easily  be  imagined  how  difficult  it  was  to  conciliate 
men  accustomed  to  sleep  on  their  watches,  leave  their 
vessels  without  an  officer  on  board,  and  play  cards  and 
smoke  cigars  on  the  quarter  deck.  Such  persons  naturally 
looked  upon  all  regulations  as  irksome,  and  unnecessary, 
when  the  only  method  that  could  be  adopted  to  make  the 
navy  effisctive,  was  to  introduce  strict  discipline  and  change 
all  their  habits. 

Up  to  this  time,  the  Mexican  navy  had  been  a  ren- 
dezvous for  idle  young  men  of  influential  families,  who 
were  placed  there  with  no  intention  of  following  the  sea 
as  a  profession,  but  simply  to  enable  them  to  wear  a  gaudy 
uniform  and  draw  pay  from  the  government,  that  is  when- 
ever the  latter  could  raise  money  enough  to  pay  them  offi 
These  young  men  led  a  dissolute  life,  and  it  required  great 
restraint  to  break  up  their  vicious  habits,  and  bring  them 
down  to  the  duties  of  their  profession.  This  restraint  caused 
extreme  dissatisfaction  and  many  complaints,  but  the  go- 
vernment saw  plainly  that  this  was  the  only  way  to  bring  dis- 
cipline into  the  navy,  and  ensure  the  efficiency  of  its  officers, 
and  therefore  approved  of  all  the  Commodore  did. 

The  first  serious  violation  of  the  new  regulations  was 
duly  noticed,  and  the  offender  tried  by  court  martial.  The 
accused  was  a  young  Mexican  of  an  influential  family, 
who  had  defied  what  he  called  the  "American  laws,"  and 
his  dismissal  from  the  service  arrayed  against  the  foreigners 
the  animosity  of  a  powerful  clique. 

One  can  easily  imagine  the  difficulties  that  would  beset 
a  foreigner  entering  the  service  of  a  country,  whose  lan- 
guage he  did  not  understand,  and  whose  manners  and 
habits  were  different  from  those  to  which  he  had  been  ac- 
customed, arid  where  the  anxiety  to  get  to  sea  rendered  it 
necessary  to  drive  people,  to  keep  them  up  to  their  work. 
Drills  and  daily  exercises  were  matters  to  which  these  people 
were  not  accustomed.  Their  new  duties  deprived  them  of 
pleasures  on  shore,  and  bothered  the  old  Mexican  captains, 
who  had  been  accustomed  to  take  things  easy,  and  not  to 


Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter.         355 

be  disturbed  during  their  noon  siesta,  and  while  being 
taught  their  duties  by  men  who  understood  their  own 
thoroughly,  they  considered  their  instructors  tyrants,  and 
the  course  pursued  a  reflection  upon  their  ignorance,  in 
which  they  would  have  been  contented  to  remain  all  their 
lives. 

It  was  late  in  the  spring  of  1827,  before  Commodore 
Porter  could  get  his  vessels  to  sea.  He  could  not  obtain 
men,  and  the  government,  desirous  to  assist  him,  sent  down 
a  mutinous  regiment  of  soldiers,  to  be  transferred  to  the 
navy  as  sailors,  by  way  of  punishment.  These  were  dis- 
tributed among  the  different  vessels,  and  efforts  made  to 
train  them  at  least  at  the  guns,  but  their  insubordination 
was  beyond  description,  and  not  until  the  cat  and  colt 
were  unsparingly  dealt  out  to  them,  could  they  be  brought 
into  anything  like  discipline.  However,  patience  and  per- 
severance will  conquer  in  the  end,  and  in  the  course  of  time 
these  soldiers  became  tolerable  sailors,  yet  here  were  800 
men  who  had'  never  seen  salt  water  to  be  depended  on  to 
fight  the  battles  of  the  country  against,  what  was  at  that 
time,  a  powerful  navy,  well  disciplined  and  well  com- 
manded. 

About  the  end  of  May,  1827,  the  squadron,  in  company 
with  the  American  corvette  John  Adams,  sailed  for  Key 
West,  and  the  third  day  out  encountered  a  smart  norther 
which  put  all  the  Mexican  mariners  hors  du  combat.  How 
the  ships  got  safely  through  the  gale,  will  always  remain 
a  mystery,  but  they  finally  arrived  off  the  island  of  Cuba 
in  a  shattered  condition.  The  squadron  consisted  of  the 
frigate  Libertad,  brig  Victoria,  Capt.  Machen,  brig  Bravo, 
Captain  Wise  (an  American),  and  the  brig  Herman,  Lieut. 
Hawkins.  The  Herman  was  immediately  sent  to  cruise 
against  Spanish  commerce,  while  the  rest  of  the  vessels 
stood  for  the  port  of  Havana.  When  within  a  hundred 
miles  of  the  Moro  Castle,  a  sail  was  made  and  chase  given, 
and  in  a  short  time  the  stranger  was  overtaken.  She 
proved  to  be  the  Hercules,  a  fine,  large,  Spanish  merchant 
brig,  loaded  with  an  assorted  cargo  of  the  value  of  $150,000, 
and  bound  from  Cadiz  to  Havana.  When  the  Spanish 
captain  was  told  to  haul  down  his  flag,  he  was  thunder- 
struck, never  having  heard  before  that  the  Mexicans  had 


356  Memoir  of  Commodoee  David  Porter. 

any  ships  of  war.  The  vessel  was  sent  as  a  prize  to  Vera 
Cruz,  most  of  the  passengers  being  transferred  to  the  fri- 
gate. Two  hours  afterwards  three  sail  were  made  in  the 
direction  of  Havana,  to  which  chase  was  given.  As  the 
Mexican  squadron  approached  the  strangers,  the  latter 
proved  to  be  a  Spanish  squadron,  under  Commodore  La- 
borde,  consisting  of  the  Lealtad  and  Casilda,  sixty  gun 
frigates,  and  the  brig  Hercules  of  20  guns.  The  Spaniards 
were  sailing  in  close  order  under  topsails  and  courses, 
the  Mexicans  running  down  before  the  wind  approached 
within  five  miles  of  them,  then  hauled  on  a  wind  and  re- 
duced the  vessels  to  the  same  canvass,  sailing  in  the  same 
direction  with  the  enemy.  Strange  to  say,  the  Spaniards 
took  no  notice  of  them,  although  they  must  have  known 
of  the  sailing  of  the  squadron  from  Vera  Cruz,  through  the 
British  packet  which  plied  between  that  port  and  Havana. 

Commodore  Porter  did  not  have  the  right  to  seek  a 
combat,  but  he  was  determined  not  to  decline  one.  He 
wished  to  impress  the  Mexican  officers  with  confidence, 
and  not  give  them  the  opportunity  of  writing  home  that 
he  had  avoided  a  conflict  with  the  Spaniards.  Had  the 
Guerrero  been  in  company,  he  would  have  run  down  and 
engaged  the  enemy,  with  every  probability  of  success. 
His  men  had  been  well  trained  at  the  guns,  aud  there 
were  a  sufficient  number  of  American* aaid  English  seamen 
on  board,  to  have  good  captain  gunners  to  every  piece. 

The  squadrons  sailed  side  by  side,  from  5  p.m.  until 
sunset,  when  Commodore  Porter  ordered  the  helm  to  be 
put  up,  and  the  vessels  run  off  towards  the  enemy,  who 
also  bore  off,  but  as  soon  as  darkness  set  in,  the  Mexican 
vessels  were  hauled  by  the  wind  and  all  sail  was  made, 
and  next  day  the  squadron  was  snugly  anchored  inside 
the  sheltering  harbor  of  Tortugas. 

In  the  summer  of  1827,  the  Mexican  squadron  entered 
Key  West  unmolested,  there  being  no  Spanish  vessels 
anywhere  in  sight.  They  had  no  sooner  been  comfortably 
moored  in  this  snug  harbor,  than  Commodore  Laborde 
appeared  with  four  frigates  and  three  brigs,  with  the  evi- 
dent intention  of  blockading  them.  For  several  days  the 
enemy  kept  close  into  the  reef,  where  their  guns  could  be 
plainly  counted. 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         357 

The  Spaniards  had  already  spread  the  report  in  Havana, 
that  the  Mexicans  had  declined  their  offer  of  battle,  and 
now  some  of  the  American  newspapers  joined  in  the  cry 
that  Commodore  Porter  was  blockaded  in  Key  West,  and 
was  powerless  to  do  the  Spaniards  any  harm,  when  at 
that  very  time  the  Herman  under  Hawkins,  was  off  the 
'N.  W.  coast  of  Cuba,  where  she  had  captured  a  fine  armed 
schooner  with  360  slaves,  had  destroyed  ten  coasting 
vessels  under  the  guns  of  the  Moro,  and  had  sent  two  fine 
large  schooners  loaded  with  coffee  and  sugar  intoJKey 
West.  Another  brig,  the  Bravo,  slipped  out  of  Key  West 
one  night,  and  took  a  position  in  sight  of  the  Moro  Castle, 
where  she  could  capture  anything  going  in  or  out  of 
Havana,  and  completely  stopping  the  coasting  trade  to 
that  port.  It  was  preposterous  in  the  Spaniards  to  call 
that  a  blockade,  which  never  stopped  a  single  Mexican 
vessel,  or  their  prizes,  from  going  in  or  out. 

Commodore  Porter  made  his  head-quarters  on  board  the 
Libertad,  at  Key  West,  whence  he  directed  the  movements  of 
his  vessels.  The  Libertad  was  a  slow  sailer,  badly  armed, 
and  not  half  the  size  of  the  Spanish  frigates,  and  therefore 
entirely  unfit  to  cope  with  any  of  them  singly.  The 
Commodore  being  perfectly  familiar  with  all  the  pas- 
sages through  the  Keys,  could  take  any  vessel  in  or  out 
by  night  or  day,  and  get  in  his  prizes.  He  had,  within 
thirty  days  after  his  arrival  in  Spanish  waters,  captured  at 
least  |400,000  worth  of  commerce  besides  creating  a  panic 
and  obliging  the  enemy  to  keep  a  large  force  of  vessels 
together  to  blockade  him.  While  it  took  three  frigates 
and  three  brigs  to  watch  the  fiagship,  the  other  Mexi- 
can vessels  could  cruise  without  fear  of  being  attacked. 
From  this,  it  will  be  seen  how  many  vessels  are  required 
to  blockade  a  single  one.  It  was  the  old  story  of  the 
Essex  over  again,  where  a  large  force  of  the  British  navy 
was  sent  out  to  catch  that  one  frigate.  Commodore  Porter 
would  have  been  very  unwise  to  have  abandoned  his  ad- 
vantageous position,  from  which  he  was  carrying  on  the 
war  with  such  success.  From  Key  West  he  sent  emis- 
saries to  Cuba,  to  try  and  impress  the  native  population 
that  it  would  be  for  their  interest  to  declare  themselves 
independent  of  a  government  that  could  not  protect  them. 


358  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

From  this  action  of  Commodore  Porter  may  have  been  pro- 
duced the  germ  of  that  revolution  which  has  now  extended 
throughout  the  island,  and  will  ultimately  destroy  the  last 
vestige  of  Spanish  power  in  America. 

By  this  time  the  Mexican  squadron  had  assumed  a  very 
creditable  appearance.  American  discipline  had  brought 
officers  and  men  up  to  high  water  mark,  and  the  mutinous 
regiment  that  had  marched  to  Vera  Cruz,  ornamented 
with  ball  and  chain,  expecting  to  labor  at  the  galley  oar 
as  a  punishment  for  their  misdeeds,  was  now  a  bright  and 
happy  set  of  sailors.  Their  once  attenuated  forms,  now  pre- 
sented specimens  of  manly  beauty  not  to  be  excelled  in 
any  service,  and  the  prison  ships  had  become  happy  homes 
to  them.  Their  ration,  adopted  from  that  of  the  United 
States  navy,  gave  them  an  abundance  of  food,  such  as  they 
had  never  before  dreamed  of  possessing.  In  fact,  these 
were  their  halcyon  days,  if  such  days  have  ever  fallen  to 
the  lot  of  Mexicans. 

Affairs  were  in  this  condition  about  the  last  of  October, 
1827.  The  Commodore  was  daily  increasing  the  effi- 
ciency of  his  force  by  enlisting  men  inl^ew  Orleans,  and  had 
added  about  two  hundred  prime  seamen  to  the  different 
vessels,  besides  securing  the  services  of  several  capital  offi- 
cers. He  therefore  felt  that  he  could  afford  to  go  out  and 
meet  Laborde,  when  the  latter  had  not  an  unusual  force 
of  frigates  with  him.  At  about  the  date  last  mentioned, 
all  the  vessels  of  the  squadron  happened  to  be  at  Key 
West,  each  one  having  made  a  successful  cruise,  and  sent 
in  prizes  to  that  place  or  Vera  Cruz,  and  Commodore 
Laborde  being  off  the  harbor  with  two  frigates  and  two 
brigs.  Commodore  Porter  thought  he  would  try  to  bring 
about  an  engagement.  The  wind  was  fair  out  of  the  har- 
bor, and  gave  the  Mexicans  the  weather  gage,  and  at  10 
A.M.,  the  squadron  got  under  way  in  handsome  style,  and 
stood  towards  the  Spanish  ships  which  were  cruising  off 
the  port  under  easy  sail ;  but  much  to  the  surprise  of  every 
one,  the  Spanish  commodore  made  signal  to  his  vessels 
which  immediately  ran  off  the  wind  and  crowded  on  all 
sail.  The  Spaniards  being  fast  sailers  left  the  Mexican 
vessels  astern,  until  the  former  were  hull  down,  and  as 
Commodore  Porter  did  not  wish  to  lose  the  advantage  of 


Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter.         359 

having  a  port  near  him,  into  which  to  run  in  case  of  being 
overmatched,  he  gave  up  the  pursuit. 

Commodore  Laborde  was  a  brave  officer,  but  a  prudent 
one,  and  possibly  was  influenced  by  similar  motives  with 
his  antagonist.  He  steered  for  Havana,  probably  wishing 
to  draw  the  Mexicans  to  battle  in  sight  of  the  Moro  Castle, 
where  in  case  of  disaster  he  could  run  into  the  harbor, 
while  the  Mexicans  would  be  at  the  mercy  of  a  fresh  fleet 
of  vessels  that  could  come  out  of  port  and  attack  them. 
Next  morning  the  little  Mexican  fleet  again  anchored  in 
Key  West,  and  Laborde  returned  to  the  blockade  with 
such  an  increase  of  force  that  it  would  have  been  madness 
to  meet  him. 

Finding  it  impossible  to  bring  on  an  encounter  on  any 
thing  like  equal  terms,  Commodore  Porter  determined  to 
reap  all  the  advantages  of  his  favorable  position,  until 
finally  the  Spanish  minister  at  "Washington,  complained  of 
his  using  the  place  as  a  rendezvous,  from  which  to  operate 
against  Spanish  commerce.  In  answer  to  this  protest, 
Commodore  Porter  replied  that  the  Spaniards  had  the 
same  right  to  use  Key  West  to  operate  against  Mexican 
commerce,  and  that  in  neither  case  could  it  be  considered 
a  violation  of  the  neutrality  of  the  port.  The  United 
States  government,  however,  wishing  to  annoy  Commodore 
Porter,  ordered  a  squadron  of  observation  to  enquire  into 
the  proceedings  at  Key  West,  and  in  March,  1828,  the 
sloops  of  war,  John  Adams,  Erie  and  Peacock  arrived  oif 
the  port.  Commodore  Porter  had  taken  great  pains  to  do 
nothing  that  could  be  construed  into  a  violation  of  neu- 
trality, and  whatever  may  have  been  the  instructions  of 
the  American  commander,  he  certainly  made  no  objections 
to  any  thing  the  Commodore  had  done,  but  on  the  con- 
trary treated  him  with  the  greatest  cordiality  and  rqjoiced 
in  his  apparent  good  fortune,  in  holding  so  good  a  position, 
and  the  success  which  so  far  had  attended  his  eflbrts.  It 
was  a  meeting  of  old  friends,  for  among  the  officers  were 
many  of  those  who  had  served  with  or  under  Commodore 
Porter,  and  he  could  have  obtained  the  services  of  half  of 
them,  had  he  held  out  any  encouragement  for  them  to 
enter  the  Mexican  navy ;  but  he  did  not  wish  to  induce  any 
one  to  join  their  fortunes  with  him,  in  what  he  had  for 


360         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

some  time  considered  a  doubtful  enterprise,  since  the 
Mexicans  did  not  afford  him  the  substantial  pecuniary  aid 
they  had  promised. 

The  American  ships  of  war  departed  from  Key  West  in 
a  few  days,  the  time  of  the  officers,  while  they  remained, 
being  spent  in  fraternizing  with  the  Mexicans,  and  enter- 
taining them  on  board  their  respective  vessels.  Coming 
in  contact  with  so  many  of  those  with  whom  he  had  been 
intimate  in  the  old  navy,  revived  recollections  and  pro- 
duced regrets,  which  he  could  not  conceal ;  for  notwith- 
standing the  injustice  with  which  the  Commodore  had 
been  treated,  his  heart  clung  to  his  old  flag,  and  he  felt 
painfully  the  cruel  fate  that  had  driven  him  from  beneath 
its  folds.  As  the  American  squadron  departed,  he  gazed 
after  them  without  moving  until  their  sails  sank  below 
the  horizon,  and  said  with  a  sigh,  "  after  all  it  is  better  to 
serve  in  a  subordinate  position  under  that  flag,  than  to 
hold  the  highest  honors  in  a  doubtful  and  insignificant 
service  like  this ;  and  I  would  advise  no  man  to  leave  the 
flag  under  which  he  was  educated,  and  to  which  he  is  ac- 
tached,  no  matter  how  brilliant  the  prospects  in  a  foreign 
navy." 

In  a  letter  to  a  friend  written  at  this  time,  after  alluding 
to  events  connected  with  his  command,  he  says : 

**  It  was  hard,  dear  friend,  to  be  compelled  at  my  age  to  com- 
mence a  new  career  in  life,  but  bow  could  I  do  otherwise  ?  Let 
parasites  and  sycophants  say  wbat  they  will  I  was  treated  with  undue 
severity.  Punishment  of  that  kind  ought  not  to  be  inflicted  on  me 
for  doing  what  it  was  my  duty  to  do,  for  doing  that  which  was  ap- 
plauded by  the  nation,  for  doing  what?  my  judges  say,  "  for  sup- 
porting the  honor  and  dignity  of  the  nation  and  flag."  I  could 
never  again  harmonize  with  men  who  would  punish  me  for  doing 
my  duty,  nor  could  I  ever  again  serve  with  cheerfulness  the  govern- 
ment that  could  sanction  the  sentence.  Better  for  them  and  me 
and  all  that  we  should  part.  They  lose  nothing  by  the  act,  why  do 
iAe^  complain  ?  Is  it  to  cover  their  own  un justice?  Now  I  have 
exchanged  a  certainty  for  an  uncertainty.  I  was  sure,  in  the  United 
States,  of  having  the  esteem  of  the  people  for  the  services  I  have 
rendered.  I  am  not  so  certain  of  that  in  Mexico,  though  I  have 
every  motive  for  endeavoring  to  deserve  it.  In  a  pecuniary  point 
of  view  I  have  greatly  bettered  my  condition.  I  have  the  entire 
confidence  of,  and  unrestricted  power  from  the   Mexican  govern- 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         361 

ment,  but  I  still  make  sacrifices  in  the  long  separation  from  family 
and  friends.  However,  a  few  more  years  of  activity  and  usefulness, 
will,  I  hope,  enable  me  to  seat  myself  down  for  the  rest  of  my  life, 
not  to  indulge  in  my  favorite  pursuit,  as  you  call  it,  of  farming,  but 
to  vegetate." 

"Pixed  like  a  plant  to  its  peculiar  spot, 

To  draw  nutrition,  propagate  and  rot." 

This  was  the  last  time  the  Commodore  ever  allowed  his 
feelings  to  get  the  better  of  him,  so  far  as  to  Tetany  one  see 
that  he  had  a  feeling  on  the  subject  of  quitting  the  United 
States  navy,  and  this  avowal  was  drawn  from  him  at  the 
sight  of  the  flag  he  set  loved,  and  under  which  he  had 
gained  his  reputation,  floating  over  vessels  which  a  short 
time  previous  had  been  under  his  command.  There  is  an 
abiding  love  for  the  flag  of  our  country  inherent  in  the 
breast  of  every  man,  and  even  those  who  have  deserted 
it,  can  never  lose  entirely  their  natural  veneration  for 
the  sacred  emblem  of  nationality.  '  The  most  bigoted 
of  those  who  once  dared  to  desecrate  the  flag  which 
floated  as  the  symbol  of  their  country's  greatness,  who 
trailed  it  in  the  dust  and  trampled  it  upon  the  deck  of 
American  merchant  vessels,  are  now  seeking  permission  to 
honor  and  defend  it.  The  love  for  our  country's  flag  is 
like  that  of  the  child  for  its  mother;  we  may  stray  from  it 
for  a  while,  but  long  to  return  to  its  protecting  folds,  and 
in  our  last  moments  we  desire  it  to  float  over  our  mortal 
remains. 

The  want  of  money  was  felt  in  the  squadron,  even  as 
early  as  Feb.,  1827,  and  the  Commodore  determined  to 
follow  his  practice  in  the  Pacific  and  live  on  the  enemy. 
The  commerce  of  Cuba  did  not,  however,  furnish  anything 
like  the  stores  produced  by  the  capture  of  whale  ships,  and 
the  most  he  could  do  was  to  sell  the  sugar  and  coffee  cap- 
tured in  the  prizes,  at  Key  West,  which  for  some  time 
enabled  him  to  keep  up  the  outfit  of  the  squadron  and  pay 
the  oflSicers  and  men.  This  course,  however,  gave  dissatis- 
faction at  Vera  Cruz,  where  the  government  officials  were 
hoping  to  reap  large  profits  from  the  plunder  of  prizes. 
The  brig  Hercules,  that  had  already  been  sent  there,  had 
been  so  completely  plucked  that  she  never  yielded  the 
captors  a  single  cent,  and  the  other  vessels  were  sold  at  a 
46 


362         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

great  sacrifice.  If  the  prizes  had  all  been  sent  to  Yera 
Cruz,  the  squadron  would  have  been  very  popular,  but 
when  it  was  reported  that  the  latter  was  being  supported 
by  the  sale  of  captured  cargoes,  there  was  an  indisposition 
felt  at  once  to  keep  it  up. 

There  was  a  number  of  romantic  episodes  connected 
with  this  expedition,  showing  the  hair  breadth  escapes  of 
officers  and  men  in  their  pursuit  of  Spanish  commerce,  and 
the  inefficiency  of  the  Spanish  cruisers  in  protecting  the 
Cuban  coast.  Two  schooners  were,  on  one  occasion, 
brought  in  as  prizes  to  Key  West,  loaded  with  coffee  and 
sugar.  These  vessels  were  originally  built  in  Maine,  and 
were  what  is  known  as  drogers.  Lieut.  Thompson,  with 
twenty-seven  men,  was  ordered  to  take  one  of  these 
vessels  and  go  in  quest  of  prizes.  He  sailed  at  midnight 
with  a  fresh  breeze,  and  hugging  the  reefs  closely  and 
steering  some  forty  miles  down  the  gulf  to  the  eastward, 
he  put  about  and  stood  for  Matanzas.  Here  he  found  the 
coast  clear  of  vessels  of  war,  and  at  noon  of  the  next  day 
fell  in  with  a  number  of  coasters  keeping  close  in  shore, 
and  bound  for  Havana.  He  kept  along  with  them,  board- 
ing seven  in  succession,  by  running  alongside  and  taking 
them  by  surprise,  selecting  the  largest  and  most  heavily 
laden  vessels.  He  put  three  men  on  board  each  of  the 
prizes  with  directions  to  proceed  to  Key  West,  and  the 
passengers  and  crews  of  the  coasters,  amounting  to  one 
hundred  and  thirty-seven  persons,  Lieut.  Thompson  un- 
dertook to  guard  with  only  six  men,  but  as  the  prisoners 
were  all  in  irons  he  felt  quit^  secure.  I^ot  satisfied  with 
what  he  had  already  accomplished,  Lieut.  Thompson  went 
off  the  port  of  Havana,  and  endeavored  to  add  to  his  list 
of  prizes,  but  by  some  means  the  prisoners  managed  to 
escape  from  their  irons  during  the  night,  overpowered  the 
schooner's  men,  and  in  a  few  hours  delivered  them  to  the 
authorities  in  Havana,  who  consigned  them  to  the  Moro 
and  treated  them  as  pirates,  so  far  as  hard  fare  and  close 
imprisonment  were  concerned. 

The  night  after  the  first  schooner  under  Lieut.  Thompson 
disappeared  from  Key  West,  the  other  vessel  also  departed 
at  midnight,  with  27  men  under  the  command  of  Captain 
David  H.  Porter  of  the  Libertad.  The  crew  consisted  of 
two  Americans,  one  Englishman,  one  Swede  and  twenty- 


Memoir  oe  Commodore  David  Porter.         363 

three  Mexicans,  together  with  an  old  superannuated  Mexi- 
can marine  officer,  and  the  Commodore's  son,  the  present 
admiral  of  the  navy.  The  vessel  was  about  150  tons 
burden,  comfortable  and  roomy,  but  a  very  dull  sailer, 
having  a  high  after  deck  loaded  with  machinery  for 
sugar  plantations,  and  with  mahogany  logs.  At  day- 
light she  w^as  about  ten  miles  to  the  southward  of  Sand 
Key  light,  at  the  entrance  of  Key  West,  when  the  Span- 
ish squadron  was  descried  standing  towards  her  with 
a  fresh  breeze.  The  squadron  consisted  of  two  frigates 
and  a  brig,  from  which  there  being  no  escape  the  captain 
stood  directly  for  them.  There  was  no  American  flag  on 
board,  but  the  after  run  of  the  vessel  being  filled  with  red 
lead,  some  stripes  were  marked  on  a  piece  of  cotton  and 
the  improvised  ensign  duly  hoisted,  but  the  dons  con- 
sidered the  schooner  too  insignificant  to  notice,  and  she 
passed  safely  between  a  frigate  and  the  brig  without  ques- 
tion, the  Spaniards  not  paying  her  the  courtesy  of  hoisting 
their  colors.  Had  they  examined  the  schooner  through  a 
glass,  they  would  have  seen  a  large  fourteen  oared  launch 
on  her  deck  which  the  low  bulwarks  could  not  con- 
ceal. In  an  hour  the  enemy  was  out  of  sight,  and  the 
schooner  steered  for  Cape  Antonio,  keeping  close  in  with 
the  Cuban  shore,  in  the  hope  of  picking  up  prizes  on  her 
way.  She  at  length  arrived  at  Cape  Corrientes,  on  the 
south  side  of  Cuba,  and  cruised  along  the  coast  as  far  as 
Broa  bay,  just  south  of  Havana.  There  an  expedition 
was  fitted  out,  under  the  command  of  the  captain,  to  go 
in  the  launch  to  Batabanoa.  ^JDhey  reached  their  destina- 
tion at  midnight,  and  found  several  schooners  at  anchor 
awaiting  convoy,  most  of  them  being  filled  with  coffee  and 
sugar.  A  train  of  mules,  loaded  with  cofifee,  had  just  ar- 
rived. The  muleteers  were  seized  and  the  coffee  trans- 
ferred to  the  schooners,  lying  at  the  dock.  All  the  crews 
of  the  vessels  were  secured,  and  when  day  broke  the  as- 
tonished inhabitants  looked  in  vain  for  their  schooners 
and  muleteers.  In  fact,  they  never  again  set  eyes  on  their 
vessels,  w^hich  were  sunk  after  their  cargoes  had  been 
transferred  to  Captain  Porter's  high  deck  schooner,  which 
bore  the  sonorous  name  of  Esmeralda. 


364  Memoir  or  Commodore  David  Porter. 

The  following  day  the  Mexican  schooner  weighed  an- 
chor, and  ran  for  Seguanca  bay,  in  the  Isle  of  Pines,  and 
that  night  the  launch  pulled  in  and  captured  four  more 
schooners.  These  were  taken  out  to  the  Esmeralda,  which 
was  loaded  until  she  could  hold  no  more,  after  which  the 
prizes  were  sent  to  the  bottom,  only  one  little  clipper 
built  schooner  being  kept  for  a  tender.  Some  of  these 
prizes  were  beautiful  vessels  of  from  40  to  150  tons  burden, 
and  would  have  sold  well  at  Vera  Cruz,  but  the  order  was 
to  "  burn,  sink  and  destroy,"  and  the  order  was  carried  out 
so  far  as  the  vessels  were  concerned ;  but  cargo,  stores, 
sails,  and  cordage  were  saved  for  the  use  of  the  Mexican 
squadron.  The  Esmeralda  then  cruised  to  the  eastward 
as  far  as  the  town  of  Cienfuegos,  where  the  launch  was 
sent  in  at  night,  and  hauled  out  one  schooner  partly 
loaded,  which  was  sunk.  The  party  in  the  launch  also 
made  an  expedition  on  shore,  where,  we  are  sorry  to  relate, 
the  native  Mexicans  showed  their  natural  disposition  by 
entering  private  houses,  and  stealing  every  thing  they 
could  lay  their  hands  on.  One  fellow  took  from  a  gentle- 
man's house  a  lot  of  books,  thinking  thereby  to  propitiate 
the  commander,  who  had  strictly  forbidden  pillaging  on 
shore.  The  same  fellow  stole  a  splendid  satin  embroidered 
dress,  and  a  fine  horse  with  a  silver  mounted  saddle,  which 
plunder  he  presented  to  the  captain,  himself  and  compan- 
ions reserving  all  the  silver  spoons  and  doubloons  which 
they  had  taken  from  the  house.  Suffice  to  say  the  horse 
was  permitted  to  depart  with  the  satin  dress,  which  had 
been  carefully  rolled  up  and  secured  to  the  saddle,  but  the 
theft  of  silver  w^as  not  known  until  it  was  too  late  to  make 
restitution.  Captain  Porter  found  that  the  Mexican  sailors 
were  so  addicted  to  plundering  that  he  could  not  attempt 
any  more  land  expeditions,  and  resolving  henceforth  to 
confine  his  operations  to  the  water,  he  sailed  for  the  Isle 
of  Pines. 

Captain  Porter  was  a  strict  disciplinarian,  having  been 
brought  up  by  some  of  the  severest  captains  in  the  U.  S. 
navy,  men  who  were  more  addicted  to  the  use  of  the  cat 
and  colt  than  to  moral  suasion.  He  was  not  over  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  and  had  not  learned  the  art  of  governing 
men  by  kindness.     He  punished  for  every  oftense,  and  the 


Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter.         865 

Mexicans,  when  away  from  a  ship  of  war  with  its  surround- 
ings of  power,  did  not  fail  to  commit  many  acts  which  it  was 
impossible  to  pass  unnoticed.  The  carpenter,  on  board 
the  Esmeralda,  was  an  Englishman  named  Barret,  a  most 
insubordinate  fellow,  who  was  constantly  being  punished 
for  drunkenness.  He  had  ingratiated  himself  with  the 
Mexican  sailors,  and  was  a  leading  man  among  them.  By 
working  upon  their  feelings,  he  made  them  believe  they 
were  badly  treated,  and  finally  persuaded  them  to  join  him 
in  a  scheme  for  seizing  the  vessel,  killing  the  captain  and 
ofiicers,  and  disposing  of  the  cargo  in  some  of  the  West 
India  ports.  It  was  intended  to  put  this  design  into  ex- 
ecution at  the  Isle  of  Pines,  or  on  the  way  thither.  The 
only  arms  on  board  were  twenty-five  muskets,  and  an 
equal  number  of  cutlasses,  and  these  were  always  under 
the  captain's  eye  in  the  cabin,  and  were  only  placed  in  the 
hands  of  the  crew  when  an  expedition  was  on  foot.  The 
day  after  leaving  Cienfuegos,  a  merchant  ship  hove  in 
sight,  and  supposing  her  to  be  a  Spaniard  the  captain 
armed  the  crew  and  ran  down  to  board  the  stranger,  but 
as  she  proved  to  be  French,  the  Esmeralda  stood  on  her 
course  for  the  Isle  of  Pines,  and  the  arms  were  restored 
to  the  cabin.  Midshipman  Porter  had  charge  of  the 
arms,  and  when  they  were  turned  in  noticed  that  two 
muskets,  several  cutlasses,  and  all  the  bayonets  were 
missing,  of  which  circumstance  he  immediately  informed 
the  captain,  also  informing  him  that  one  Yizetelly,  an 
English  boy,  had  hinted  that  in  less  than  twenty-four  hours 
they  would  have  a  new  captain.  Captain  Porter  immedi- 
ately went  on  deck,  after  directing  Mid.  Porter  to  stand 
by  the  cabin  door  with  his  cutlass  and  pistols,  and  be 
ready  to  hand  them  to  him.  When  the  captain  reached 
the  deck  he  noticed  Barret  standing  forward  with  a  large 
axe  in  his  hand,  surrounded  by  the  Mexicans,  to  whom  he 
was  talking  excitedly,  frequently  pointing  towards  the 
quarterdeck.  The  captain  called  out  "Barret,  come  aft 
here,  you  drunken  scoundrel."  "I  am  no  more  a  drunken 
scoundrel  than  you  are,"  retorted  the  mutineer,  at  the  same 
time  shouting  to  the  Mexicans  "  now's  our  time,  follow 
me,"  he  rushed  upon  the  captain  with  uplifted  axe,  followed 
by  the  Mexican  crew.      Midshipman  Porter,  seeing  the 


366  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

state  of  affairs,  handed  the  captain  his  cutlass  and  pistols, 
and  as  Barret  approached,  he  was  cut  down  before  he  had 
time  to  use  his  axe.  The  leading  Mexican  received  a 
shot  through  the  head,  and  the  rest  retreated  forward? 
pursued  by  a  huge  Swedish  quarter  master,  named  Sims, 
who  knocked  three  or  four  of  them  down  with  his  fist. 
The  Mexicans  were  then  ordered  aft,  and  made  to  stand 
in  line,  the  captain  with  his  pistol  cocked  ready  to  shoot 
the  first  man  that  moved.  On  examination,  all  were  found 
to  be  armed  with  the  missing  bayonets,  which  they  had 
concealed  down  their  backs.  After  the  mutineers  had 
been  put  in  irons,  there  were  left  only  the  quarter  master, 
Sims,  and  two  Americans  to  work  the  vessel,  and  this 
affair  put  a  stop  to  any  further  inroads  upon  Spanish  com- 
merce. 

Instead  of  continuing  on  to  the  Isle  of  Pines,  Capt.  Por- 
ter ran  for  the  Mangles  islands,  then  in  sight,  and  entering 
one  of  the  little  nooks  (a  former  retreat  of  pirates),  he  hid  his 
vessel  among  the  mangroves,  where  no  one  would  ever 
think  of  looking  for  her.  The  question  now  was,  what  to 
do  with  his  twenty-four  desperate  characters.  The  cap- 
tain knew  that  if  he  landed  them  on  these  islands  they 
must  inevitably  starve  to  death,  and  he  therefore  hit  upon 
an  expedient  which  placed  them  entirely  under  his  inspec- 
tion. Two  holes  for  each  man  were  sawed  through  the 
high  deck  of  the  schooner,  on  each  side  of  the  carline  over 
the  cabin.  The  prisoners'  feet  were  put  through  these 
holes,  and  the  irons  put  upon  them  below.  Thus  there  were 
forty-eight  feet  protruding  into  the  cabin  through  the  deck, 
and  no  one  could  meddle  with  the  irons  without  the 
knowledge  of  the  captain.  This  was  a  simple  expedient, 
but  a  very  happy  one — at  least  for  the  officers,  and  in  this 
condition  the  Esmeralda  made  her  way  back  to  Key  West, 
where  she  passed  in  through  the  Spanish  squadron,  which 
took  no  notice  of  her,  and  presented  Commodore  Porter 
with  a  cargo  worth  $56,000.  The  cargo  was  sold  in  Key 
West,  and  again  the  squadron  was  in  funds.  The  mutineers 
were  tried  by  court  martial,  and  punished  through  the 
fleet,  and  afterwards  sent  to  work  on  the  fortress  of  San 
Juan  de  Ulloa. 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         367 

There  is  no  knowing  what  devastation  the  old  Esmer- 
alda would  have  committed  on  the  Cuban  coast,  but  for 
the  unexpected  termination  of  her  cruise.  As  it  was,  in  less 
than  a  month,  she  captured  and  destroyed  about  one  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars  worth  of  property. 

Winter  was  now  approaching,  and  the  northers  began  to 
set  in  very  heavily,  and  as  there  was  no  use  in  attempting 
operations  at  that  season,  Commodore  Porter  determined 
to  return  to  Vera  Cruz,  with  his  squadron  and  prizes. 
Besides,  he  did  not  wish  the  United  States  government  to 
raise  any  points,  with  regard  to  his  making  Key  West  a 
base  of  operations,  as  he  could  direct  the  movements  of 
vessels  equally  well  from  Vera  Cruz.  The  principal  ad- 
vantage he  derived  from  his  stay  in  Key  West  was,  that 
the  Spaniards  were  obliged  to  keep  the  larger  part  of  their 
force  blockading  him.  Previous  to  leaving  for  Vera 
Cruz,  about  March  1st,  1827,  he  visited  New  Orleans  in 
a  pilot  boat  chartered  for  the  occasion,  where  he  was 
publicly  received  by  the  authorities  and  people,  a  circum- 
stance at  which  he  felt  greatly  flattered.  At  N'ew  Orleans 
he  made  arrangements  to  have  men  sent  him  to  Vera  Cruz, 
as  his  original  sailors  had  nearly  served  their  time,  having 
enlisted  for  only  one  year. 

On  the  Commodore's  return  to  Key  West,  he  gave  the 
order  to  be  ready  to  sail  at  a  moment's  notice.  All  the 
vessels  except  the  Guerrero  were  then  in  port,  and  Com- 
modore Laborde  was  more  attentive  than  usual  to  the 
blockade.  He  had  three  frigates  and  three  brigs  on  watch 
close  into  the  reef.  The  morning  after  sailing  orders 
were  issued,  not  one  of  the  Mexican  vessels  was  to  be 
seen  in  Key  West,  much  to  the  surprise  of  the  Spaniards. 
When  the  moon  went  down,  the  squadron  got  under  way, 
and  stood  out  of  the  north  passage,  at  that  time  imper- 
fectly surveyed  and  known  only  to  the  wreckers,  and  one 
or  two  other  persons,  among  them  Commodore  Porter, 
who  led  his  squadron  safely  through.  The  wind  was  blow- 
ing fresh  from  the  westward,  and  all  sail  was  carried  to 
place  a  wide  distance  between  the  Mexicans  and  the 
Spaniards.  At  daylight  the  fleets  were  91  miles  apart. 
The  Spanish  Commodore  did  not  attempt  pursuit,  and  in 
the  course  of  ten  days  the  Mexican  fleet  reached  Vera 
Cruz  without  molestation. 


368         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

The  Commodore  had  no  reason  to  be  dissatisfied  with  his 
reception  by  the  Mexican  authorities.  They  approved  of 
everything  he  had  done,  and  promised  all  manner  of  aid 
in  carrying  on  future  operations.  He  had  drawn  on  them 
but  once  during  his  absence,  and  then  for  but  $50,000,  the 
sale  of  prizes  having  kept  him  supplied  with  funds.  This 
however,  was  a  source  of  regret  to  the  Mexicans  on  shore, 
who  all  wished  to  share  in  the  distribution  of  prize  money. 

The  Commodore  did  not  find  them  well  pleased  when 
he  called  for  the  return  of  the  prize  money  which  he  had 
spent  for  the  maintenance  of  the  squadron.  He  met  with 
vexatious  delays,  and  many  questions  were  raised  with  re- 
gard to  the  accounts,  and  the  money  was  only  paid  in 
small  installments.  The  American  seamen,  dissatisfied 
with  their  small  allowance  of  prize  money,  refused  to  re- 
enlist,  their  times  being  out,  and  without  them  the  squad- 
ron would  be  worth  nothing. 

The  Commodore  now  began  to  experience  the  difficulties 
he  had  been  anticipating.  The  minister  of  war  and  marine 
was  opposed  to  all  his  measures,  and  he  was  at  that  time 
the  most  powerful  member  of  the  cabinet.  The  officers 
received  their  pay  very  irregularly,  and  the  Commodore's 
family  in  the  United  States  sufiered  much  inconvenience. 
He  had  left  some  obligations  behind  him,  which  he  calcu- 
lated to  settle  upon  receipt  of  his  allowance  from  the 
Mexican  government,  and  to  discharge  these  debts,  he  was 
obliged  to  sacrifice  by  a  forced  sale,  his  place  near  Wash- 
ington, for  one-third  of  its  value.  In  the  meantime,  the 
Mexican  authorities  were  profuse  in  promises,  and  treated 
the  Commodore  with  marked  kindness,  granting  him  a 
tract  of  land  of  thirty  square  leagues  on  the  Rio  Grande, 
which  he  had  exchanged  for  a  grant  on  the  Guatzacolcos 
river,  on  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec,  amounting  to  about 
372,000  acres.  This  land  extended  along  the  river  nearly 
to  Minatitlan,  and  being  granted  for  military  services 
and  no  act  of  settlement  required,  it  stands  good  to  this 
day,  although  the  Mexican  government  have  given  a 
dozen  grants  since  that  time  of  the  same  tract  to  others. 

Commodore  Porter's  command  included,  besides  the 
navy,  the  castle  of  San  Juan  de  Ulloa.  Whoever  held  that 
fort  commanded  Vera  Cruz,  and  the  receipts  from  the  cus- 


Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter.         869 

toms  provided  they  desired  to  interfere  with  them.  The 
chiefs  of  parties  in  Mexico  were  always  agitating  for  revo- 
lution, and  were  anxious  to  get  rid  of  one,  upon  whom 
they  could  not  depend  to  enter  into  their  nefarious  schemes. 
They  sounded  him  to  see  how  far  he  could  be  used,  but 
finding  him  determined  to  support  the  government  under 
all  circumstances,  they  proposed  to  limit  his  authority  by 
placing  a  Mexican  in  command  of  the  Castle  of  San  Juan, 
outside  the  control  of  the  navy.  This  change  would,  in 
effect,  have  controlled  the  navy,  the  ships  being  fastened 
to  the  castle  and  right  under  the  muzzles  of  its  guns,  which 
he  would  not  submit  to.  The  intrigues  in  the  city  of 
Mexico,  not  being  to  the  Commodore's  taste,  he  visited 
the  capital  but  seldom,  passing  most  of  his  time  in  Vera 
Cruz  trying  to  get  his  vessels  to  sea.  He  had  sent  the  Bravo 
and  Herman  back  to  the  Cuban  coast,  where  they  inflicted 
considerable  damage  on  the  coasting  trade.  The  brig  Guer- 
rero was  now  fitted  out  anew,  with  a  picked  crewof  three- 
fourths  English  and  American  seamen,  and  one-fourth  of  the 
best  Mexicans,  and  a  picked  guard  of  Mexican  marines. 
Captain  David  H.  Porter  was  appointed  to  the  command, 
a  very  clever  English  officer  named  Williams,  first  lieu- 
tenant, an  American,  Yanstavern,  second  lieutenant,  the 
rest  made  up  of  the  best  Mexican  ofiicers  that  could 
be  selected.  There  were  several  of  the  midshipmen  Ameri- 
cans, among  them  the  admiral's  son. 

The  Guerrero  sailed  about  the  middle  of  March,  1828, 
with  instructions  to  pursue  the  same  course  which  had 
been  tried  in  the  Esmeralda,  and  having  fair  winds  she 
arrived  off  the  coast  of  Cuba,  towards  the  latter  part  of  the 
month.  The  day  previous  to  making  the  land,  an  Ame- 
rican brig  was  boarded,  the  master  of  which  informed  Capt. 
Porter  that  there  were  two  frigates  in  Havana,  dismantled, 
and  the  only  vessel  ready  for  sea  was  the  brig  Hercules, 
and  that  he  might  go  oft'  the  harbor  with  perfect  im- 
punity. In  consequence  of  this  information,  he  steered 
for  Little  Mariel,  a  fine  port  fifteen  miles  to  the  westward 
of  Havana.  It  was  his  intention  to  run  the  coast  up,  pass 
Havana  at  night,  and  catch  the  coasters  coming  from  the 
eastward  with  the  sea  breeze,  also  to  fall  in  with  convoys 
coming  from  Bahia  Honda,  and  ports  to  the  westward. 
47 


370  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

In  those  days  there  was  an  extensive  trade  from  the 
different  Cuban  ports  to  Havana,  and  as  many  as  sixty  or 
seventy  vessels  at  a  time  might  be  seen  working  their  way 
along  to  the  great  depot  of  sugar,  coffee,  and  tobacco.  It 
was  a  lovely  morning  when  the  Guerrero  made  the  island, 
standing  on  a  wind  for  the  port  of  Mariel,  when  within 
about  ten  miles  of  the  land,  the  look  out  from  aloft  re- 
ported a  large  convoy,  with  two  brigs  of  war  beating  up  the 
coast.  On  approaching  nearer,  the  convoy  was  found  to 
consist  of  forty- two  vessels,  and  one  of  the  brigs  mounted 
18  guns,  the  other  8  in  broad  side,  and  one  long  gun. 
The  two  together  were  superior  to  the  Guerrero  by  three 
guns,  and  the  advantage  was  still  greater  from  the  fact  of 
the  force  being  distributed  in  two  vessels.  Nevertheless, 
the  captain  concluded  to  attack  them,  and  get  posses- 
sion of  the  convoy.  All  sail  was  carried  to  close  with 
them,  and  the  Guerrero  cleared  for  action.  The  Spaniards 
seemed  indisposed  to  meet  the  Mexican  brig  in  the  open 
sea,  but  put  their  helms  up,  and  ran** into  the  port  of 
Little  Mariel  —  which  was  protected  by  a  fort  —  the 
convoy  following.  It  w^as  the  intention  of  Captain  Porter 
to  follow  them  in,  but  when  he  got  within  six  hundred 
yards  of  the  entrance,  the  water  shoaled  suddenly,  and  he 
put  his  helm  down,  came  head  to  wind  and  anchored, 
leaving  his  topsails  on  the  cap.  The  Guerrero's  position 
was  now  a  very  good  one,  there  was  only  a  low  narrow 
strip  of  land  between  her  and  the  enemy,  not  sufficient  to 
cover  their  water  line,  and  he  had  a  better  chance  to 
attack  than  if  he  had  been  inside. 

In  the  meantime,  the  Spaniards  had  shown  great  dili- 
gence in  getting  their  vessels  into  good  position  close  to- 
gether, in  a  line  with  each  other,  with  springs  on  their 
cables,  and  had  opened  a  raking  fire  on  the  Guerrero  as 
she  stood  head  on,  cutting  her  up  aloft  but  doing  no 
material  damage  to  the  hull.  Capt.  Porter  coolly  anchored 
under  this  heavy  fire,  and  then  deliberately  opened  on  the 
enemy  with  great  effect. 

When  the  Guerrero  stood  in,  those  on  board  had  not 
noticed  a  Martello  tower,  mounting  one  or  two  long  guns 
which  defended  the  entrance  of  the  harbor,  but  they  were 
soon  made  aware  of  its  existence,  as  it  opened  a  sharp  fire 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         371 

on  the  brig,  every  shot  telling  on  the  hull  or  spars. 
Two  guns  were  assigned  to  attend  to  this  battery,  while 
the  rest  were  directed  towards  the  Spanish  vessels.  It  was 
soon  apparent  that  the  Guerrero's  fire  was  too  heavy  for 
the  enemy,  whose  exertions  began  to  slacken,  and  in  a 
a  few  minutes  more  the  battle  would  have  ended,  and  the 
Mexicans  would  have  brought  all  their  guns  to  bear  upon 
the  fort;  but  just  when  the  Captain  was  most  sanguine 
of  success,  a  shot  from  the  latter  struck  the  hemp  cable 
and  cut  it  in  two,  when  the  Guerrero  drifted  rapidly 
astern,  and  struck  on  a  rock  where  she  laid  for  some 
minutes  apparently  fast  aground;  but  sail  being  made 
on  her  with  great  rapidity  (her  guns  still  keeping  up 
their  fire),  she  cast  to  seaward  and  went  all  clear,  the 
Spaniards  raking  her  as  she  stood  ofiT,  and  cheering  lustily 
at  her  supposed  retreat. 

The  port  anchor  was  now  got  ready  for  letting  go,  and 
Captain  Porter  stood  in  again  to  the  attack.  In  the  mean- 
time the  Spanish  brigs  had  repaired  some  of  their  damages, 
and  together  with  the  fort  opened  a  heavy  raking  fire  on 
the  Guerrero,  as  she  stood  in  to  renew  the  conflict.  This 
time  Captain  Porter  anchored  four  hundred  yards  more  to 
\vindward,  with  his  topsails  up  and  the  yards  braced  to 
cast  to  port,  in  case  of  a  similar  accident  to  his  cable.  All 
this  time  the  enemy  were  firing  rapidly,  most  of  the  shot 
striking  the  spars,  sails  and  rigging.  The  shot  from  the 
fort  almost  always  struck  the  hull,  but  their  powder  was 
evidently  bad,  as  the  missiles  did  not  go  through  the  brig's 
side,  otherwise  they  would  have  inflicted  much  damage. 

The  action  since  last  anchoring,  had  continued  about 
twenty  minutes.  The  smaller  Spanish  brig  had  struck 
her  colors  or  they  had  been  shot  away,  and  the  fire  of  her 
companion  was  very  feeble.  Both  vessels  had  suftered 
greatly  in  spars  and  hull.  Every  shot  from  the  Guerrero 
that  missed  the  vessels  of  war,  struck  among  the  convoy 
which  was  packed  so  close  inshore  of  the  brigs  that  they  could, 
not  avoid  the  missiles.  Several  of  them  were  sunk  and 
all  their  crews  sought  safety  on  shore.  Had  shells  been 
in  use  at  that  time  all  the  vessels  would  have  been  set  on 
fire  and  destroyed.  Another  ten  minutes  would  have  de- 
cided the  battle  in  favor  of  the  Mexicans,  when  the  Guer- 


372  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

rero's  port  cable  was  cut  in  two  by  another  shot,  and  the 
wind  being  fresh  the  brig  cast  to  port  and  stood  out  again, 
receiving  but  one  raking  shot  from  the  fort  which  cut  off 
part  of  her  rudder.  The  sheet  anchor  was  now  got  ready 
to  let  go,  but  before  standing  in  again,  damages  aloft  had 
to  be  repaired.  Both  top  gallant  masts,  spanker  gaff,  fly- 
ing jib  boom,  and  jib  halliards  had  been  shot  away.  New 
braces  had  to  be  rove  and  the  wreck  cleared,  which  con- 
sumed about  three-quarters  of  an  hour.  There  were 
many  other  minor  damages,  for  the  Spaniards  had  fired 
high,  and  most  of  their  shots  had  struck  the  spars,  sails, 
or  rigging. 

Between  Little  Mariel  and  Havana  was  a  fine  road,  and 
couriers  had  been  dispatched  to  the  city,  announcing  the 
presence  of  the  Guerrero,  which  the  Spanish  admiral  be- 
lieved to  be  still  in  Vera  Cruz.  The  guns  could  be  plainly 
heard  in  Havana,  and  the  Spaniards  hastily  prepared  to 
put  to  sea.  The  Lealtad,  a  64  gun  frigate,  just  refitted 
was  lying  with  sails  unbent,  and  rigging  unrove.  Her  men 
were  summoned  on  board  at  once,  with  part  of  those  from 
the  Casilda  frigate.  Every  available  boat  was  now  put  in 
requisition,  and  the  Lealtad  towed  out  to  sea,  which  was 
an  easy  matter  as  there  was  no  wind,  and  the  surface  of  the 
ocean  was  as  smooth  as  a  mirror.  The  Spaniards  worked 
with  a  will,  and  lost  not  a  moment ;  for  while  the  boats  were 
towing,  the  sails  were  bent,  the  rigging  rove,  and  the  bat- 
teries got  in  order.  When  the  Lealtad  was  within  ten  miles 
of  little  Mariel,  the  sea  breeze  set  in  quite  freshly  and  the 
boats  ceased  towing.  The  frigate,  now  under  full  sail, 
made  rapid  progress  towards  the  Mexican  brig,  which  had 
hauled  off  for  repairs,  on  account  of  her  cable  being  cut ; 
when,  just  as  the  Guerrero  was  again  standing  in  to  finish 
the  afiair  under  sail,  the  top  gallant  sails  and  royals  of  the 
Spanish  ship  were  discovered  rapidly  rising  above  the 
horizon.  In  half  an  hour  her  hull  was  fairly  in  sight. 
Captain  Porter,  to  his  great  regret,  was  now  obliged  to 
run  for  it,  and  accordingly  filled  away  to  the  northward 
under  such  sail  as  he  could  get  up.  The  heads  of  both 
fore  and  main  topmasts  were  shot  away,  and  it  was  impos- 
sible to  get  up  topgallant  masts  for  some  time,  until  a  pair 
of  stump  masts  were  lengthened  on  the  heel,  swayed  aloft 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         373 

and  lashed  to  the  topmast  below  the  eyes  of  the  rigging, 
then  the  topgallant  yards  were  swayed  aloft  and  the  sails 
set.  The  Spanish  frigate  was  by  this  time  within  four 
miles  of  the  brig,  but  when  all  sail  was  set  on  the  latter 
she  left  the  Spaniard  behind,  at  the  rate  of  a  mile  an 
hour,  so  that  at  sunset  Captain  Porter  felt  himself  quite 
safe.  At  night  fall  he  changed  his  course  several  times, 
and  finally  seeing  nothing  of  the  Lealtad  he  determined  to 
return  to  Little  Mariel,  and  cut  the  two  brigs  out  with  his 
boats.  He  had  accordingly  steered  south  for  about  an 
hour,  when  the  frigate  was  made  out  close  on  board,  at  the 
same  instant  she  opened  her  broadside  and  the  shot  rattled 
among  the  brig's  spars  and  rigging,  doing  some  damage ; 
the  latter  tacked  ship  and  hauled  on  the  wind  again  to  the 
northward,  and  the  enemy  was  again  lost  sight  of. 

Capt.  Porter  now  made  all  sail  in  the  direction  of  Key 
West,  not  expecting  to  see  the  frigate  again ;  but  at 
daylight  she  was  descried,  well  to  windward,  running 
down  for  the  brig,  of  which  it  appears  she  had  never  lost 
sight,  having  been  able,  by  means  of  good  night  glasses, 
to  follow  her  movements. 

Escape  now  seemed  impossible,  and  the  Guerrero  was 
prepared  for  action.  The  frigate,  under  all  steering  sails, 
rapidly  approached,  while  the  brig  was  kept  close  hauled 
intending  to  cross  her  bow.  When  the  Lealtad  was 
within  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  the  Guerrero  poured  in  a 
broadside  directed  at  her  sails  and  spars,  which  committed 
great  havoc,  the  light  steering  sails  coming  down  by  the 
run.  At  the  same  moment  the  brig  tacked  and  poured 
in  a  second  broadside  with  good  effect.  The  Spaniards, 
though  taken  by  surprise,  managed  their  ship  beautifully, 
came  to  the  wind  with  squared  yards,  opened  their  broad- 
side, and  took  in  the  remaining  steering  sails  in  good 
order,  then  filled  away  on  the  same  course  with  the  brig. 
All  this  did  not  consume  more  than  ^ve  minutes,  although 
it  seems  longer  in  the  relation. 

The  battle  now  commenced  in  earnest,  and  continued 
for  an  hour,  the  two  vessels  running  side  by  side,  half  a 
mile  distant  from  each  other,  when  the  wind  allowed  the 
Guerrero  to  close  within  a  hundred  yards  for  a  few  minutes. 
Her  broadsides  were  so  destructive,  that  the  Spaniards 


374         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

decreased  their  fire  considerably,  and  for  a  moment  it  was 
thought  that  the  frigate  would  haul  off,  but  at  that  instant 
the  wind  fell  calm  below,  while  there  was  enough  aloft  to 
catch  the  Lealtad's  light  sails,  leaving  the  brig  with  her 
sails  torn  to  tatters.  The  frigate  now  took  a  position  out  of 
the  reach  of  the  Guerrero's  short  guus,  and  there  laid 
for  nearly  an  hour,  boring  the  brig  through  and  through, 
until  her  deck  was  like  a  slaughter  pen.  The  Mexican 
vessel  was  unmanageable,  masts,  sails,  and  hull  being  a  per- 
fect wreck,  and  even  at  the  greatest  elevation,  not  a  shot 
could  reach  the  Spaniard.  Under  these  circumstances  the 
captain  called  the  officers  together,  and  expressed  to 
them  the  pain  he  felt  at  being  obliged  to  haul  down  his 
flag,  but  felt  it  his  duty  to  do  so,  in  which  they  all  agreed, 
and  the  colors  were  hauled  down  after  an  action  of  one 
hour  and  forty  minutes.  The  moment  the  Spaniards  saw 
that  the  brig  had  surrendered,  the  frigate  ran  down 
for  her,  keeping  up  a  constant  fire,  and  when  right  abeam 
and  close  aboard,  she  poured,  in  a  whole  broadside,  which 
cut  the  Guerrero  almost  to  pieces,  killing  and  wounding 
a  number  of  the  officers  and  men,  and  cutting  the  gal- 
lant Captain  Porter  in  two  with  a  twenty-four  pound  shot. 
This  last  act  of  barbarity  was  to  punish  the  brig  for  her 
stubborn  resistance,  and  to  show  to  the  people  of  Havana 
how  much  damage  the  Lealtad  had  inflicted  on  her. 

The  Spanish  frigate  was  much  cut  up  in  masts,  spars, 
hull,  and  rigging,  but  sailors  were  immediately  sent  over 
the  side  to  cover  shot  holes  with  tin,  and  paint  them  black 
to  conceal  the  injury.  N"ew  sails  were  bent,  the  rigging 
knotted  and  set  up,  and  in  Rve  or  six  hours  the  damages 
were  in  a  measure  repaired,  so  that  to  the  uninitiated,  the 
frigate  looked  in  perfect  order  and  as  if  she  had  been  sail- 
ing on  a  summer  sea. 

The  Guerrero  was  not  boarded  until  four  hours  after 
she 'surrendered,  and  then  boats  filled  with  armed  men 
went  alongside,  and  the  Spaniards  swarmed  over  her  decks 
like  a  gang  of  pirates,  every  man  bent  on  plunder.  The 
officer  in  command  immediately  demanded  the  chrono- 
meters and  the  key  of  the  strongbox,  while  the  crew  were 
seizing  on  the  personal  property  of  the  sailors.  The 
Mexican  officers  were  hustled  out  of  the  brig,  minus  every- 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         375 

thing  but  what  they  stood  in,  and  the  next  morning  the 
Lealtad,  with  a  fresh  breeze,  stood  into  Havana  with  the 
brig  in  tow,  amid  the  applause  of  thousands  who  had  as- 
sembled to  exult  over  the  capture  of  a  22  gun  brig  by  a  64 
gun  frigate!  little  dreaming  that  the  blood  of  those 
martyrs  to  liberty,  who  fell  on  board  the  Guerrero  would 
sow  the  seed  of  republicanism  throughout  Cuba,  until  the 
flag  they  were  lauding  to  the  skies,  should  be  driven  from 
the  island. 

The  body  of  the  gallant  Porter  was  thrown  overboard, 
without  even  the  form  of  a  funeral  service,  for  though  only 
a  few  hours  from  port,  they  could  not  honor  such  bravery 
as  his  by  a  burial  on  shore.  It  would  not  have  been 
politic  even  at  that  time,  for  thousands  of  those  who  honor 
the  gallant  dead  would  have  followed  the  Captain's  body 
to  the  grave,  and  the  government  did  not  want  any  ex- 
citement to  fan  into  flame  the  smouldering  embers  of 
liberty.  They  did  all  that  they  could  to  depreciate  the 
battle,  but  the  intelligent  portion  of  the  community  could 
see  that  it  had  been  one  of  the  most  desperate  engage- 
ments on  record,  and  that  the  frigate  had  suffered  as  much 
as  the  brig.  The  latter  lost  in  killed,  wounded  and  miss- 
ing about  80  out  of  186.  Three  of  her  officers  were  killed, 
and  all  the  others  more  or  less  wounded.  The  surviving 
officers  were  transferred  to  the  guard  ship,  near  the  entrance 
to  the  harbor,  where  they  were  well  treated — consider- 
ing who  were  their  captors — and  a  parole  was  offered  to 
Midshipman  Porter  which  he  declined  to  accept,  preferring 
to  share  the  captivity  of  his  shipmates. 

The  news  of  the  capture  of  the  Guerrero  caused  great 
excitement  in  Mexico,  and  much  enthusiasm  was  manifested 
at  the  gallantry  displayed  on  the  occasion  ;  but  when  the 
enthusiasm  cooled  off' the  Mexicans  remembered  that  they 
had  lost  a  vessel  which  cost  them  $180,000,  and  that  the 
Spaniards  were  that  much  better  off*.  "  What  did  they 
fight  for?"  queried  the  men  in  power;  "  their  object  was 
to  destroy  commerce,  they  should  have  avoided  an  engage- 
ment." They  did  not  consider  that  the  laurels  gained  for 
the  nation  strengthened  her  claims  to  independence,  by 
showing  her  power  to  maintain  it.  But  the  Mexicans 
were  not  a  deep  thinking  people,  nor  did  they  act  on  the 


376        Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

broad  principles  of  making  any  sacrifices  to  gain  their  in- 
dependence. When  the  reaction  set  in,  even  the  gallant 
Porter,  who  was  buried  beneath  the  waves,  was  found 
fault  with,  for  not  whipping  a  sixty-four  gun  frigate. 
"  We  pay  those  ITorth  Americans  to  fight,"  said  the 
Mexicans,  "  they  ought  to  whip  everything.  The  Mexicans 
could  do  better  ;  the  Mexicans  on  board  did  all  the  fight- 
ing," and  so  on  ad  nauseam. 

This  blow  for  a  season  checked  the  Mexican  naval 
operations,  with  the  exception  of  fitting  out  the  Bravo 
under  Wise  and  the  Herman  under  Hawkins.  This 
last  named  officer  was  a  handsome  fellow,  and  a  great 
favorite  with  the  ladies.  His  vessel  was  chased  into  Nassau, 
N^ew  Providence,  where  he  had  a  love  aflair  and  killed  a 
man,  in  consequence  of  which  he  was  imprisoned  for  some 
months,  while  the  Herman  was  laid  up  in  port  and  her 
services  lost  during  all  that  time.  The  Bravo,  in  the 
meanwhile,  was  so  closely  watched  by  the  Spanish  forces, 
that  she  could  seldom  get  out  of  port  to  do  any  damage. 

In  the  year  1828,  there  was  an  accession  to  the  Mexican 
navy,  the  ship  of  the  line  Asia.  She  was  a  vessel  of  the 
Spanish  navy,  whose  crew  had  revolted  at  some  port  on 
the  Pacific,  and  turned  her  over  to  the  Mexicans,  who  had 
sent  her  to  Vera  Cruz.  In  the  then  condition  of  the 
Mexican  treasury,  this  addition  to  the  navy  was  a  disad- 
vantage, as  it  required  a  considerable  sum  to  keep  her 
moored  in  port  and  prevent  her  from  going  to  decay, 
which  sum  would  equip  a  good  sized  vessel  to  cruise 
against  the  Spaniards. 

The  Commodore  made  the  Asia  his  head-quarters,  and 
with  a  csmall  crew  endeavored  to  make  her  appearance 
inspire  the  Mexicans  with  some  respect  for  their  navy,  but 
without  avail.  They  were  not  a  naval  people,  had  no 
commerce  of  any  consequence,  and  their  harbors  were 
defended  by  forts,  against  which  the  Spaniards  would  not 
venture  an  attack,  or  they  were  protected  by  dangerous 
bars  which  no  vessel  of  any  size  could  pass.  The  Spaniards 
could  not  hope  to  land  troops  in  Mexico,  for  they  would 
have  been  easily  defeated  by  the  Mexicans,  who  were 
better  soldiers  and  far  more  numerous.  The  policy  of  the 
Mexicans  was,  therefore,  to  shut  themselves  up  and  only 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  377 

fight  the  Spaniards  when  the  latter  attempted  a  landing 
on  their  shores. 

By  this  time,  Commodore  Porter  was  convinced  that 
the  Mexicans  possessed  few  of  the  elements  of  a  great  peo- 
ple, and  that  their  only  chance  of  maintaining  their  inde- 
pendence lay  in  the  difficulty  of  access  to  their  ports,  and 
that  they  would  succumb  to  an  energetic  foe  the  first  time 
one  should  enter  the  country.  All  his  opinions  have 
since  been  fully  confirmed,  as  well  as  the  evils  resulting 
from  divisions  among  their  public  men,  all  aiming  at  su- 
preme power,  from  the  corruption  pervading  all  departments 
of  the  government,  and  from  the  ignorance  and  indolence  of 
the  mass  of  the  people,  who  knew  nothing  and  desired  to 
do  nothing  except  enjoy  themselves.  Had  our  revolution- 
ary forefathers  possessed  such  a  country  as  Mexico,  with 
its  genial  climate,  unbounded  resources,  inaccessible 
mountain  passes,  and  inhospitable  coast,  they  might  have 
defied  the  world  in  arms;  but  there  were  few  of  the  Mexi- 
cans who  were  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  the  men  of  1776, 
and  one  of  the  besetting  sins  of  the  people  was,  hostility 
to  the  foreigners  who  were  fighting  their  battles. 

In  these  remarks  it  is  not  meant  to  detract  from  the 
good  qualities  which  the  Mexican  people  really  possessed, 
their  hospitality,  and  kindness  of  disposition,  but  our 
strictures  more  properly  apply  to  those  who  held  the 
reins  of  power,  and  their  dependants,  the  army  of  office 
holders.  There  was  no  doing  anything  with  this  party, 
in  the  way  of  obtaining  funds  for  the  support  of  the  navy, 
for  although  there  was  plenty  of  money  in  the  country, 
every  office  holder  wanted  to  secure  it  for  his  own  private 
benefit.  The  naval  officers  and  men  received  their  pay  at 
long  intervals,  and  thatof  the  commander-in-chief  was  far  in 
arrears.  When  he  complained  of  the  pittance  he  received, 
they  proffered  him  a  grant  of  land  as  worthless  as  their 
promises. 

During  the  early  part  of  the  year  1828,  the  Mexican 
government  issued  a  decree  expelling  all  Spanish  subjects, 
and  particularly  priests  who  were  cachupinos,  from  the 
country.  The  fear  of  personal  violence  from  the  popu- 
lace induced  many  Spaniards  to  hurry  from  Mexico,  carry- 
ing with  them  all  their  effects,  and  what  was  still  worse, 
48 


378  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

depriving  the  country  of  a  useful  class  of  inhabitants,  for 
many  of  the  old  Spaniards  were  good  merchants  and  men 
of  wealth  and  influence.  The  laity  sent  off  their  personal 
property  privately,  but  many  of  the  priests,  considering 
that  their  sacred  profession  would  be  a  safe  guard  to  them, 
undertook  to  travel  with  whatever  effects  they  possessed, 
thus  showing  themselves  very  unfamiliar  with  the  people 
among  whom  they  lived.  They  were  depleted  of  a  por- 
tion of  their  goods  on  the  road  to  the  coast,  but  met  with 
their  worst  treatment  after  reaching  Vera  Cruz. 

At  that  time  Col.  Santa  Anna  was  governor  of  Vera 
Cruz,  and  was  notorious  for  his  love  of  cock  fighting  and 
other  forms  of  gambling,  a  circumstance  that  did  not 
make  him  a  very  good  example  for  the  youth  of  th.e  com- 
munity, and  did  not  contribute  to  strengthen  his  authority 
to  preserve  good  order  among  the  citizens.  When  it  was 
known  that  the  priests  had  arrived  in  the  city,  bringing 
with  them  considerable  wealth,  a  plot  was  arranged  to 
deprive  them  of  it ;  the  excuse  being,  that  they  had  con- 
veyed away  many  things  belonging  to  the  churches. 
One  night  the  city  was  thrown  into  great  excitement,  a 
tremendous  uproar  was  heard  in  the  streets.  The  Com- 
modore sent  a  messenger  on  shore  to  ascertain  what  was 
the  matter,  who  soon  returned  with  the  information  that  the 
populace  was  pursuing  the  priests  from  one  end  of  the  city 
to  the  other.  He  immediately  sent  word  to  Col.  Santa 
Anna,  that  if  these  outrages  were  not  stopped  he  would 
send  his  marines  to  protect  the  priests,  and  no  attention 
being  paid  to  this,  the  Commodore  did  send  a  guard  to 
escort  them  to  the  naval  vessels,  and  as  soon  as  arrange- 
ments could  be  made,  placed  them  on  board  vessels  bound 
to  Havana,  Kew  Orleans,  and  ISTew  York,  and  saw  them 
safe  out  of  the  country. 

The  Mexicans  considered  this  action  of  the  Commodore's 
a  high  handed  invasion  of  their  rights,  and  he  became  at 
once  the  object  of  popular  displeasure;  but  he  never- 
theless, did  not  lessen  his  efforts  to  secure  all  the 
Spaniards  against  oppression,  and  finally  succeeded  in 
getting  them  safe  out  of  the  country  at  the  expense  of 
being  called  cachupino  by  the  populace. 


Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter.         379 

Santa  Anna  was  not  a  man  to  forget  what  he  considered 
an  indignity,  and  though  apparently  extremely  friendly  to 
the  Commodore,  and  to  the  Americans,  it  was  hinted  to 
the  latter  that  they  had  made  an  inveterate  enemy.  This 
was  not  considered  remarkable,  for  it  required  very  little 
to  obtain  the  enmity  of  one  of  these  officials,  and  for  an 
American  to  interfere  in  any  matter  where  a  native  was 
concerned,  was  provocation  sufficient. 

About  three  months  after  the  above  event.  Col.  Santa 
Anna  sent  an  officer  on  board  the  flag-ship  to  inform  the 
Commodore  that  a  courier  had  just  arrived  from  the  city 
of  Mexico,  with  orders  from  the  government  for  him  "  to 
repair  at  once  to  the  capital,"  that  important  movements 
were  on  foot  and  that  his  presence  was  imperatively  neces- 
sary. The  Commodore  was  much  surprised  that  no 
written  dispatch  was  sent,  but  was  told  that  a  confidential 
officer  was  the  bearer  of  the  message,  showing  that  the 
urgency  of  the  case  admitted  of  no  delay.  Upon  the  fol- 
lowing morning,  he  applied  to  Santa  Anna  for  an  escort, 
as  the  road  to  the  capital  was  infested  with  robbers  ;  but 
the  colonel  had  left  the  city  taking  the  only  escort  with  him, 
so  that  the  second  in  command  had  no  means  of  comply- 
ing with  the  request  without  sending  to  Jalapa  for  cavalry. 
Finding  that  this  would  delay  him  for  several  days,  the 
Commodore  determined  to  proceed  to  Jalapa  without  an 
escort,  as  the  robbers  seldom  attacked  parties  in  the 
Tierra  Caliente  as  the  low  country  between  Yera  Cruz  and 
Jalapa  was  called. 

On  the  day  after  the  summons  reached  him,  he  started 
on  horseback,  accompanied  by  the  fleet  surgeon.  Dr. 
Boardman,  and  a  Mexican  boy  as  a  servant,  with  a  pack 
horse  to  carry  their  luggage  and  provisions.  The  Com- 
modore and  the  surgeon  were  each  armed  with  a  pair  of 
pistols  and  a  sword,  and  the  boy  carried  the  Commodore's 
favorite  double  barrelled  gun  loaded  with  buckshot.  At 
sunset  the  party  rested  at  a  small  rancho,  and  next  morn- 
ing continued  on  their  way  to  Jalapa.  They  had  now  the 
choice  of  two  roads,  one  short  and  hilly,  the  other 
longer  but  more  agreeable,  and  choosing  the  latter  had 
advanced  about  ten  miles,  when  a  Mexican  came  riding 
rapidly  by  crying  out  "  ladrones  vienen  senores  tenga  vmd 


380  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

quedou  /"  ("  robbers  coming  gentlemen,  look  out"),  and  at 
the  same  instant  four  horsemen  came  in  sight  approaching 
very  fast.  The  Commodore's  party  drew  up  on  one  side  of 
the  road  to  let  them  pass,  supposing  they  were  in  pursuit  of 
the  flying  Mexican,  but  at  the  same  time  had  their  arms  all 
ready  for  use,  which  proved  to  be  a  wise  precaution,  for  the 
Mexicans  drew  rein  right  in  front  of  them,  and  the  leader, 
pointing  to  the  gold  embroidered  belt  which  sustained  the 
Commodore's  sword  exclaimed  "  aquel  con  el  cinturon  de 
oro  es  el  hombre."  ("  That  man  with  the  embroidered  belt 
is  the  one.")  The  robbers  commenced  firing  their  pistols  at 
the  distance  of  almost  twenty-five  paces,  whereupon,  as 
quick  as  thought,  the  Commodore  leveled  his  pistol  at  the 
leader  of  the  brigands  and  shot  him  dead.  His  second 
shot  struck  tlie  horse  of  one  of  the  assailants  in  the  throat, 
and  the  animal  fell  on  his  rider,  who  lay  unable  to  extri- 
cate himself,  while  his  two  remaining  companions  put 
spurs  to  their  horses  and  fled,  like  the  wind,  in  the  direction 
from  which  they  had  come.  Dr.  Boardman  had  fired  his 
pistols  as  quickly  as  possible,  but  not  being  so  good  a  shot 
as  his  chief,  only  struck  one  of  the  horses  without  disab- 
ling him  ;  but  the  Commodore  discharged  both  barrels  of 
the  shot  gun  after  the  retreating  robbers,  and  as  one  of 
them  reeled  in  his  saddle,  it  was  hoped  that  he  was  badly 
injured.  The  Commodore  never  before  won  a  battle  in 
so  short  a  space  of  time,  for  the  action  did  not  last  ^ve 
minutes  from  the  time  of  the  first  appearance  of  the  assail- 
ants on  the  scene.  The  party  now  dismounted  to  examine 
into  the  condition  of  the  robber,  whose  horse  had  fallen 
upon  him,  and  at  the  same  time  to  secure  the  steed  of  the 
dead  man  which  stood  quietly  by  the  body  of  his  master. 
The  living  robber  was  not  materially  injured,  but  could  not 
extricate  himself  from  beneath  the  body  of  his  horse; 
he  managed  to  draw  his  sword,  and  commenced  showering 
upon  the  Americans  all  the  curses  and  vile  epithets  known 
to  the  Castilian  language.  It  was  the  intention  of  the 
Commodore  to  take  this  ruffian  prisoner  to  Jalapa,  but 
every  timC  any  one  went  near  him  he  made  such  desperate 
cuts  at  them,  that  it  was  found  impossible  to  secure  him 
without  first  getting  possession  of  his  sword.  Dr.  Board- 
man  undertook  to  disarm  the  man,  saying  that  it  was 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  881 

altogether  a  surgical  operation  and  that  he  knew  exactly 
where  to  cut  him  to  make  him  drop  his  weapon,  and  would 
injure  him  very  little.  Cautiously  approaching  the  des- 
perate villain  the  doctor  endeavored  to  cut  him  slightly 
on  the  biceps  muscle,  but  the  miscreant  defended  himself 
so  vigorously  that  the  surgeon,  more  expert  with  the  lancet 
than  with  the  sword,  could  not  reach  him,  till  in  an  un- 
guarded moment  coming  too  near,  the  robber  dealt  him 
a  blow  slicing  off  his  elbow  joint  and  the  sword  dropped 
from  his  hand.  The  robber  fairly  shrieked  at  his  success 
and  shouted,  *'come  on  you  carrajo  Americanos,"  but  the 
Commodore  determined  to  trifle  no  longer  gave  him  a  shot 
through  the  head  which  terminated  his  career. 

The  doctor's  wound  was  exceedingly  painful,  but  after 
binding  it  up  as  well  as  they  could,  the  party  proceeded 
to  Jalapa,  leaving  the  dead  robbers  in  the  road,  but  care- 
fully securing  their  horses,  arms,  and  equipments.  On 
reporting  this  affair  to  the  governor  of  Jalapa,  soldiers 
were  sent  to  bring  in  the  bodies  for  identification,  while 
the  Commodore  was  told  to  keep  the  horses,  as  they  were 
prize  of  war ;  so  the  animals,  arms,  and  equipments,  were 
sold  and  netted  seventy-five  dollars  prize  money,  which 
was  the  first  installment  on  that  account,  which  he  had 
received  since  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Mexican  re- 
public. 

After  this  affair  was  over  it  was  remembered  how  anx- 
ious the  officer  in  command  at  Yera  Cruz  had  been  to  get 
the  Commodore  off,  and  the  many  excuses  he  made  for 
not  furnishing  a  military  escort,  and  it  was  plain  that  there 
was  some  treachery  at  the  bottom  of  it.  The  same  night 
a  party  of  Mexicans  coming  into  Jalapa,  stated  that  seven 
mounted  men  had  been  encountered  at  the  junction  of 
the  two  roads,  and  after  consultation  three  had  taken  one 
road  and  four  the  other,  and  the  two  who  were  killed  were 
of  the  latter  party.  Had  the  whole  seven  gone  on  the 
road  the  Commodore  traveled,  matters  might  have  turned 
out  very  differently.  The  latter  hinted  to  the  governor  of 
Jalapa  that  Santa  Anna  was  at  the  bottom  of  the  attack, 
but  whether  this  was  the  case  or  not,  could  never  be  ascer- 
tained. No  doubt  the  robbers  were  military  men  in  dis- 
guise, who  had  started  in  pursuit  of  the  Commodore  some 


382  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  \ 

time  after  his  leaving  Vera  Cruz,  expecting  to  overtake 
his  party  before  it  reached  the  diverging  roads,  in  which 
expectation  being  disappointed,  there  was  nothing  left 
them  but  to  divide  their  forces  and  assassinate  him  before 
reaching  Jalapa,  where  they  knew  he  would  take  an 
escort. 

ISTo  one  could  or  would  recognize  the  dead  men,  and  no 
inquiry  into  the  circumstances  of  their  death  was  made, 
especially  as  it  was  known  that  the  Commodore  was  hast- 
ening to  the  capital,  in  obedience  to  orders.  The  life  of 
a  man  was  not  considered  of  much  consequence  at  that 
time,  especially  that  of  a  robber.  The  party  remained  but 
one  day  in  Jalapa,  and  then  continued  their  journey  with  a 
strong  escort.  Dr.  Boardman  in  a  litter  on  account  of  his 
wound,  and  reached  the  capital  without  farther  adventure. 

When  the  Commodore  reported  to  the  government  in 
obedience  to  his  orders,  he  was  much  surprised  to  find 
that  he  had  not  been  sent  for  at  all,  and  that  the  whole 
afiair  was  an  act  of  treachery,  yet  to  be  fathomed.  The 
authorities  were  equally  surprised  and  annoyed  at  the 
circumstances,  as  related  by  the  Commodore,  and  pro- 
mised to  leave  nothing  undone  to  bring  the  perpetrators 
to  justice.  But  Mexico,  at  that  time,  was  a  safe  place  for 
these  marauders,  who  were  to  be  found  in  every  portion 
of  the  country,  as  well  in  the  cities,  in  the  passes  of  the 
Pinal,  as  in  the  tortuous  roads  of  the  Orizaba  mountains, 
and  their  retreats  were  as  difficult  to  follow  as  the  wind- 
ings of  the  labyrinth  of  the  minataur,  from  which  Theseus 
escaped  by  following  the  clue  of  a  silken  cord. 

Whatever  steps  the  government  ever  pursued  to  find 
out  the  origin  of  this  scheme  of  assassination,  it  is  certain 
that  nothing  was  discovered,  and  the  Commodore  had 
only  the  satisfaction  of  knowing,  that  some  one  was  in 
pursuit  of  his  life,  and  that  he  would  have  to  depend  upon 
his  own  vigilance  and  courage  to  protect  it.  After  a 
short  sojourn  in  the  city  of  Mexico,  he  returned  to 
Vera  Cruz,  where  Santa  Anna  was  the  first  to  con- 
gratulate him  on  his  escape,  and  the  swift  retribution 
he  had  dealt  out  to  his  assailants.  Santa  Anna  also  pre- 
sented him  with  a  splendid  sabre,  as  a  mark  of  esteem, 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         383 

and  was  very  active  in  the  attempt  to  discover  the  instiga- 
tors of  the  attack.  However,  in  spite  of  all  exertions,  the 
matter  remains  a  mystery  to  this  day. 

Soon  after  this  affair,  the  Commodore's  son  Thomas 
was  taken  down  with  yellow  fever,  and  after  a  painful  ill- 
ness, departed  this  life,  to  the  great  grief  of  his  sorrowing 
father,  for  this  was  his  favorite  child,  in  whom  his  heart 
was  wrapped  up.  He  was  a  beautiful  boy  of  eleven  years 
of  age,  full  of  promise.  His  other  son  had  been  sent 
to  the  United  States,  to  be  educated,  and  his  nephew 
having  been  killed  in  the  Guerrero,  the  Commodore  was 
left  without  a  relative  near  him.  His  secretary,  Mr.  Law, 
had  also  returned  to  the  United  States,  leaving  him  with 
few  associates  whom  he  cared  for.  The  illusions,  which 
for  a  time  had  buoyed  him  up,  were  all  dispelled  one  after 
another,  and  he  saw  no  hope  of  creating  anything  like  a 
permanent  navy  in  Mexico.  The  government  now  owed 
him  twenty  thousand  dollars,  which  he  saw  no  likelihood 
of  getting,  except  by  taking  grants  of  land  of  which  he 
was  already  the  proprietor  of  a  large  tract  on  the  isthmus 
of  Tehuantepec.  He  went  to  the  isthmus  with  Senor 
Tadeo  Ortiz,  and  had  his  grant  surveyed  and  the  title 
established  and  acknowledged,  hoping  that  at  some  future 
day  it  would  be  a  fortune  to  his  children. 

In  1827,  he  thought  he  saw  the  necessity  of  an  interoceanic 
communication,  and  he  was  even  then  impressed  with  the 
superior  advantages  of  the  Tehuantepec  route,  for  a  ship 
canal,  over  all  others.  He  says  "  any  one  looking  at  a  map  will 
seethe  advantage  to  the  United  States,  of  a  ship  canal  at  this 
point,  over  all  others,  to  bring  our  commerce  within  easy 
reach  of  the  Pacific  coasts,  without  having  to  make  the 
dangerous  and  tedious  passage  around  Cape  Horn."  It 
was  not  for  the  benefit  of  the  civilized  world,  that  the 
Commodore  anticipated  the  day  when  a  canal  would  be 
opened,  but  for  the  commerce  of  the  United  States.  "  The 
Guatzacualcos  is  but  700  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  Miss- 
issippi, which  drains  a  country  capable  of  supplying  the 
world  with  provisions.  It  is  but  480  miles  from  our 
Texan  frontier,  and  must  eventually  fall  into  the  Ameri- 
can union.  The  gulf  included  between  Florida  and  Yuca- 
tan is,  nine  months  of  the  year,  as  quiet  as  a  lake,  on  which 


884         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

even  our  river  steamers  might  safely  voyage,  and  carry 
the  products  of  our  country  as  far  south  as  Valparaiso, 
and  as  far  north  as  Oregon ;  and  offering  a  voyage  to  sea 
steamers  and  sailing  vessels  to  China,  of  about  half  the 
distance,  "around  the  cape  of  Good  Hope.  These  were 
the  advantages  which  the  Commodore  thought  he  saw  in  the 
future,  when  our  commerce  should  whiten  every  part  of  the 
ocean.  He  knew  that  he  should  not  live  to  see  all  this 
realized,  but  expected  that  his  immediate  descendants 
would.  From  a  careful  survey  that  he  made  of  the  bar  of 
the  Gruatzacualcos,  he  ascertained  that  it  had  not  changed 
within  the  memory  of  man,  and  that  the  upper  stratum 
of  the  bottom,  was  composed  of  hard  clay,  which  once 
excavated  would  remain  unchanged,  and  that  an  excava- 
tion of  only  Rve  hundred  feet  would  be  sufficient  to  make 
a  safe  channel  for  the  largest  ships. 

Surveys  and  scientific  calculations  have  long  since  proved 
the  availability  of  this  route  for  a  ship  canal,  most  of  the 
necessary  excavation  being  over  a  level  country,  with  but 
a  short  distance  through  mountains,  which  supply  sufficient 
water  to  fill  the  canal.  The  proposed  routes,  via  Panama, 
San  Juan  river,  and  the  Atrato  are  mainly  for  the  benefit 
of  the  world  at  large  and  would  be  of  no  advantage 
to  us,  while  the  Tehuantepec  route  is  almost  within 
our  domain,  and  would  serve  more  particularly  for  the 
commerce  of  the  United  States,  which  could  always  control 
it  as  it  would  be  almost  under  our  guns.  These  were 
the  reasons  for  locating  his  great  grant  of  land  on  the 
Guatzacualcos,  where  a  ship  crossing  the  bar,  can  carry 
deep  water  within  a  short  distance  of  Minatitlan,  and 
whose  entrance  offers  as  good  a  harbor  as  is  to  be  found 
on  this  continent. 

The  Commodore  erected  sawmills,  on  the  Guatzacualcos, 
for  the  purpose  of  getting  out  mahogany,  and  other  valua- 
ble woods,  but  having  no  time  to  give  his  personal  attention 
to  these  matters  they  produced  no  beneficial  results. 

The  year  1829  came  around,  and  General  Jackson  had 
been  inaugurated  president,  and  with  old  Hickory  Com- 
modore Porter's  friends  again  came  into  power.  The 
president  elect  was  also  his  warm  friend,  and,  satisfied  of 
the  injustice  of  the  court  martial  towards  him,  disapproved 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         385 

of  its  sentence.  He  had  himself  been  placed  in  a  some- 
what similar  position  when  he  took  possession  of  Florida, 
and  could  fully  appreciate  the  motives  which  governed 
Commodore  Porter  in  his  action  at  Foxardo.  Jackson 
had  no  sooner  assumed  the  duties  of  president,  than  he 
invited  the  Commodore  through  his  friends  to  return  to 
the  United  States,  assuring  him  that  he  should  receive  full 
justice  for  all  the  wrongs  done  him  by  the  late  administra- 
tion. 

In  reply  to  this  invitation  the  Commodore  made  known 
his  situation,  and  the  embarrassment  he  labored  under 
owing  to  the  treachery  of  the  Mexican  government,  and 
the  longing  he  felt  to  be  once  more  under  the  protection 
of  his  country's  flag.  At  the  same  time  he  stated,  that  he 
could  never  return  until  assured  that  he  could  be  placed 
in  a  position  that  would  enable  him  to  triumph  over  his 
enemies,  and  be  satisfied  that  he  received  it  with  the 
approbation  of  the  American  people. 

To  show  the  feelings  which  animated  President  Jack- 
son, in  regard  to  the  Commodore,  we  insert  the  following 
letter  from  the  Honorable  Mahlon  Dickerson,  afterwards 
secretary  of  the  navy. 

Suckasunny,  Morris  Co.,  New  Jersey,  March  30,  1829. 

Dear  Sir :  Soon  after  General  Jackson's  arrival  at  Washington, 
I  put  into  his  hand  a  copy  of  your  letter  to  me,  of  December  last,  on 
the  reading  of  which,  as  I  am  informed,  he  was  much  agitated.  I 
also  wrote  to  him  my  sentiments,  and  views  upon  the  subject  at  his 
request. 

In  consequence  of  the  immense  press  upon  him,  I  was  not  able  to 
have  any  conversation  in  private  with  him  till  the  17th  instant, 
when  I  dined  with  him  and  was  with  him  alone  for  an  hour  or  more. 
After  having  expressed  the  highest  respect  for  your  character  and 
services,  and  his  utter  detestation  of  the  persecution  that  drove  you 
into  exile,  he  authorized  me  to  say  to  you,  that  it  would  afford  him 
the  highest  satisfaction  to  see  you  again  in  this  country,  and  that 
should  you  return  he  would  as  soon  as  circumstances  would  permit, 
provide  for  you  in  some  way  agreeably  to  yourself. 

You  must  be  aware  that  he  has   no  power  to  recall  any  person 
that  has  left  the  country,  and  it  is  possible  there  may  be  some  diffi- 
culties as  to  citizenship  which  he  as  well  as  congress  will  be  dis- 
posed to  remove  as  soon  as  possible.     How  far  you  have  expatriated 
49 


386  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

yourself  I  do  not  know.  Lafayette  and  other  French  officers  who 
served  in  our  revolutionary  war,  never  lost  any  of  their  rights  as 
subjects  of  the  king  of  France. 

The  sooner  you  arrive  here,  the  sooner  you  will  be  in  a  situation 
to  please  you.  Of  the  cabinet,  Eaton  you  know  is  your  devoted 
friend,  Van  Buren  is  equally  attached  to  you,  and  Ingham,  Branch 
and  Berrian  are  friendly  to  you ;  but  none  of  them  more  attached  to 
you  than  the  president  himself.  Everything  here  promises  you  the 
most  favorable  reception,  and  I  hope  that  as  soon  as  your  convenience 
will  permit,  we  may  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  among  us. 
I  am  with  great  respect  and  esteem 
Sincerly  yours, 

Mahlon  Dickerson. 
Commodore  David  Porter, 

Of  the  Mexican  Navy,  Vera  Cruz. 

This  letter  was  both  consoling  and  flattering  to  the 
Commodore,  for  he  felt  that  he  could  now  openly  express 
his  feelings  towards  the  Mexican  government.  His  rela- 
tions with  them  had  been  growing  worse  and  worse  for 
some  time  past,  for  finding  that  the  Commodore  could  not 
be  made  use  of  to  further  their  political  schemes,  the  men 
in  power  did  everything  they  possibly  could  to  annoy  him. 
His  subordinates  at  Vera  Cruz  were  directed  to  disregard 
his  orders,  his  letters  in  relation  to  public  matters  were 
unnoticed,  and  he  saw  plainly  that  the  government  not  only 
wanted  to  get  rid  of  him  but  to  defraud  him  of  the  pay  and 
prize  money  still  due,  amounting  to  about  $40,000. 

Commodore  Porter  had  long  seen  the  uselessness  of  try- 
ing to  infuse  sentiments  of  true  patriotism  into  the  hearts 
of  these  people.  In  vain  did  he  attempt  to  show  them, 
that  with  a  few  clipper  vessels  built  in  the  United  States, 
they  could  destroy  the  commerce  of  Cuba  and  soon  force 
the  Spaniards  to  acknowledge  their  independence.  He 
tried  to  bring  about  a  union  of  the  Mexican  and  Columbian 
navies,  promising  if  he  could  have  command  of  the  com- 
bined force  to  sweep  the  Spaniards  from  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico.  The  Mexicans  listened  favorably  to  this  project, 
but  the  Columbians  finding  that  the  former  people  intended 
to  saddle  them  with  all  the  expense,  broke  oflF  negotiations 
and  would  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  the  plan.  As  a 
last  resort,  the  Commodore   made  a  proposition  to   the 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  387 

Mexican  government  to  destroy  the  Spanish  fleet  in  the 
Havana.  An  enterprising  American  had  volunteered  to 
blow  up  every  vessel  in  the  harbor  for  the  sum  of  $150,000. 
His  scheme  was  to  run  into  port  in  a  schooner  bearing 
American  colors  in  distress,  and  operate  at  night  by  means 
of  torpedoes.  The  Commodore,  after  carefully  examining 
the  plans,  felt  satisfied  that  they  could  be  successfully  carried 
out.  A  similar  plan  of  torpedoes  invented  by  Fulton 
had  been  approved  by  the  navy  commissioners  when  the 
Commodore  was  a  member  of  the  board,  and  was  supposed 
to  be  a  profound  secret  in  that  office.  As  to  the  atrocity 
of  sending  hundreds  of  people  to  their  final  account,  in 
such  a  summary  manner,  it  may  be  remarked  that  the  trae 
policy  is  to  make  war  as  destructive  as  possible  while  it 
lasts. 

In  the  majority  of  cases  war  is  forced  upon  a  people  for 
the  purpose  of  impeding  their  advancement,  or  to  gain  some 
advantage  to  which  the  aggressors  have  no  right.  It  is 
undertaken  by  the  powerful  and  arrogant,  against  their 
weaker  neighbors,  who  not  having  the  naval  and  military 
resources  of  their  enemy  at  command,  must  resort  to  such 
methods  as  offisr  themselves  to  punish  an  unscrupulous  foe. 
The  pistol  places  the  feeble  stripling  on  a  level  with  the 
burly  bully,  and  in  like  manner  the  torpedo  places  an  in- 
significant country  on  an  equality  with  France  or  England. 
We  who  suffered  so  much  by  means  of  infernal  machines 
during  our  civil  war,  have  learned  to  regard  them  as  im- 
portant adjuncts,  and  are  no  longer  influenced  by  humani- 
tarian notions  in  regard  to  their  use,  and  it  will  be  found, 
in  the  future,  that  torpedoes  will  have  greater  influence  in 
preserving  peace  between  nations,  than  all  the  exertions  of 
the  most  skillful  diplomatists. 

The  idea  of  blowing  up  the  Spaniards  by  wholesale 
pleased  the  Mexicans  mightily,  but  they  could  by  no  means 
understand  the  machine  which  was  to  effect  such  results, 
or  comprehend  the  hardihood  of  a  man  who  should  dare  to 
place  it  under  a  ship's  bottom.  They  concluded  therefore, 
that  the  plan  was  merely  a  trick  to  extort  money,  although 
the  inventor  asked  for  nothing  until  he  had  destroyed  three 
frigates,  which  he  was  willing  to  risk  his  life  in  attempt- 
ing.    But  no  logic  could  induce  the  Mexicans  to  invest 


388  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

§150,000  in  such  pyrotechnics,  they  preferred  spending 
their  money  in  fire  works  for  festivals,  or  keeping  it  where 
it  would  inure  to  their  own  personal  benefit.  The  scheme 
was  abandoned,  not  because  they  did  not  desire  to  see  the 
enemy  humbled,  but  because  they  determined  to  give  no 
more  money  towards  the  navy.  They  still  considered  the 
capture  of  the  Guerrero  a  dead  loss,  never  for  a  moment 
considering  the  sentiment  of  national  honor  or  the  renown 
gained  to  the  nation  by  so  gallant  a  defense. 

The  Spaniards  had  threatened  to  blockade  the  coasts  of 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  Commodore  Porter  prepared  a 
number  of  large  lighters,  pulling  twenty  oars  each, 
and  mounting  a  long  heavy  eighteen  pounder.  These 
were  intended  to  act  as  gunboats,  to  annoy  the  enemy  in 
case  he  should  get  becalmed  in  shore;  but  the  govern- 
ment even  refused  money  for  this  purpose,  and  it  was 
evident  that  the  Mexican  rulers  were  dead  to  every  senti- 
ment of  national  pride,  and  it  was  probable  that  Spanish 
influence  still  prevailed  in  the  higher  and  influential  circles 
of  the  capital. 

There  were  now  but  two  or  three  American  officers  remain- 
ing in  the  Mexican  navy,  the  vessels  for  want  of  means  to 
repair  them  lay  moored  to  the  castle  of  San  Juan  de  Ulloa, 
lookhig  like  a  lot  of  decayed  hulks,  in  fact  not  dissimilar 
from  the  appearance  they  presented  when  the  Commodore 
first  took  command.  He  had  done  his  best  to  infuse 
some  vitality  into  the  navy,  but  all  his  energy  could  not 
save  it  from  destruction. 

In  one  respect  the  Mexicans  very  much  resemble  the 
Turks.  When  they  want  to  get  rid  of  a  person  in  their 
employ,  they  treat  him  with  marked  politeness,  while  at 
the  same  time  they  are  cutting  off  his  pecuniary  resources 
and  depriving  him  of  all  authority  over  his  subordinates. 
Commodore  Porter  soon  found  himself  without  pay,  and 
had  to  depend  upon  some  merchant  friends  in  Vera  Cruz 
for  the  means  of  subsistence.  He  took  a  house  in  the  city, 
and  his  occupation  ceased  altogether,  for  he  had  scarcely  a 
shadow  of  authority.  He  had  been  living  on  shore  about 
a  month,  when  one  night  he  was  awakened  by  a  noise  at 
the  door,  of  an  apartment  adjoining  his  sleeping  room,  and 
a   moment   afterwards  the   door  was   cautiously  opened. 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  389 

and  some  cue  stole  into  the  chamber.  The  Commodore 
seized  his  sword  which  stood  at  his  bedside,  and  ad- 
vancing in  the  dark  to  the  middle  of  the  room,  called  out 
"  who  is  there?"  There  was  no  answer  but  at  the  same 
moment  he  heard  a  deep  breathing,  which  seemed  to  pro- 
ceed from  beneath  a  centre  table  covered  with  a  large 
cloth,  and  hearing  no  reply  to  a  second  summons,  he 
thrust  his  sword  under  the  table  and  into  the  body  of  his 
nocturnal  visitor,  who  immediately  rose  up,  overturning 
the  table  and  grappled  his  assailant.  The  Commodore 
however,  gave  the  assassin  a  cut  over  the  head,  and  he  fell 
weltering  in  his  blood.  At  this  instant,  another  person 
rushed  at  the  Commodore,  striking  at  him  with  a  knife  and 
cutting  his  wrapper  a  foot  down,  but  fortunately,  the  gar- 
ment was  padded  with  cotton  and  the  knife  did  not  pene- 
trate to  the  flesh.  The  second  assassin,  foiled  in  his  design, 
jumped  through  a  glass  door  carrying  with  him  all  the 
frame,  and  escaped  from  the  house.  The  servants,  hearing 
the  uproar,  rushed  to  the  scene,  where  they  found  the 
Commodore  standing  over  the  prostrate  form  of  a  herculean 
negro,  whose  blood  was  running  all  over  the  floor.  The 
negro  was  too  far  gone  to  give  any  account  of  himself, 
but  only  said  "  I  was  told  to  do  it,  it  wasn't  my  fault," 
and  being  carried  to  the  hospital  died  a  day  or  two  after- 
wards. The  other  assassin  was  never  captured,  although 
the  wounds  in  his  face,  received  by  jumping  through  the 
glass  door,  would  have  easily  identified  him.  Whatever 
the  cause  of  this  attack,  Commodore  Porter's  friends  as- 
sured him  that  Mexico  was  not  a  safe  place  for  him  to 
reside  in,  and  after  staying  long  enough  to  satisfy  his  ene- 
mies that  he  was  not  driven  away  by  fear,  he  took  passage 
for  the  United  States  in  1829. 

He  addressed  a  letter  to  the  Mexican  government,  send- 
ing in  his  resignation,  which  was  accepted  with  a  profu- 
sion of  regrets,  but  when  he  demanded  his  pay  and  prize 
money,  they  promised  him  that  the  amount  should  be 
forthcoming  as  soon  as  the  government  should  be  in  funds, 
which,  unfortunately  for  their  creditors,  never  happened 
to  be  the  case.  It  was  without  regret  that  he  left  Mexico, 
where  some  of  his  fondest  hopes  lie  buried,  where  the 
climate  of  the  coast  had  made  great  inroads  upon  his  con- 


390  Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter. 

stitution,  and  where  he  felt  that  the  enmity  of  the  Ameri- 
can administration  still  followed  him. 

It  was  hinted  to  him,  on  several  occasions,  that  the 
Mexican  minister  at  Washington,  anxious  to  preserve 
pleasant  relations  with  the  government  to  which  he  was 
accredited,  had  expressed  himself  to  his  own  government 
unfavorably  towards  retaining  the  Commodore  in  the 
Mexican  navy,  on  the  ground  that  the  United  States  go- 
vernment did  not  consider  it  a  friendly  act  to  employ  an 
officer  -^ho  had  been  sentenced  by  court  martial  for  a  vio- 
lation of  Spanish  neutrality;  that  his  retention  might 
seriously  complicate  the  relations  between  the  two  coun- 
tries, and  that  they  should  find  means  to  relieve  themselves 
of  the  only  obstacle  to  a  good  understanding  between 
Mexico  and  the  United  States. 

If  these  reports  were  untrue,  they  at  least  looked  very 
plausible,  and  the  Mexican  government  laid  itself  open  to 
the  charge  of  having  acted  in  a  treacherous  manner  to- 
wards a  gallant  officer,  whom  they  had  invited,  under  the 
most  illusory  promises,  to  enter  their  service,  only  to  get 
rid  of  him  the  moment  he  stood  in  their  way  with  another 
government.  It  was,  however,  fortunate  for  Commodore 
Porter  that  matters  happened  as  they  did,  for  had  he  re- 
mained in  the  Mexican  service  for  a  few  years  longer,  his 
fate  might  have  become  inevitably  fixed  with  a  people, 
with  whom  he  could  never  have  held  any  very  intimate 
associations,  and  he  would  have  been  deprived  of  the 
satisfaction  which  awaited  him  on  his  return  to  the  United 
States,  under  the  administration  of  President  Jackson. 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         391 


CHAPTER  XX. 

illE  career  of  Commodore  Porter  had  been  check- 
ered, but  he  never  felt  such  lowness  of  spirits  as  when  he 
returned  home  from  Mexico,  in  October,  1829,  broken 
down  in  health  and  fortune. 

Fortunately,  adversity  often  throws  us  upon  the  gene- 
rosity and  magnanimity  of  the  successful,  and  though  once 
placed  under  the  ban  of  executive  power,  and  suiFering  its 
persecution,  the  Commodore  was  about  to  be  relieved  from 
that  pressure  which  had  pursued  him  abroad,  and  secure 
a  triumph  which  would  make  amends  for  all  the  incon- 
venience to  which  he  had  been  put.  Under  the  impres- 
sion, occasioned  by  the  letters  he  had  received,  Commodore 
Porter  turned  to  the  new  administration  with  perfect  con- 
fidence. Besides  the  president,  several  members  of  the 
cabinet,  including  Judge  Branch,  were  his  strong  friends, 
and  Mr.  Mahlon  Dickerson,  who  was  one  of  the  president's 
most  intimate  friends,  was  warmly  interested  in  the  Com- 
modore's affairs,  and  kept  his  case  constantly  within  the 
notice  of  the  executive. 

Immediately  on  his  arrival  in  Washington,  Commodore 
Porter  called  on  the  president,  who  offered  him  ^personally, 
as  he  had  before  offered  through  his  friends,  to  nominate 
him  to  the  senate  to  fill  his  old  position  in  the  navy. 
"Thank  you  kindly,  sir,"  said  the  Commodore,  "beggars 
should  not  be  choosers,  but  I  would  rather  dig  than  asso- 
ciate with  the  men  who  sentenced  me  for  upholding  the 
honor  of  the  flag."  "Right,  by  the  eternal,"  said  old 
Hickory,  "you  shall  not  either  if  I  can  help  it,  I  wouldn't 
associate  with  them  myself."  The  president  said  he  must 
take  time  to  think  over  the  matter,  while  the  Commodore 
returned  to  his  home  in  Chester,  trusting  to  Jackson's 
liberality  to  do  for  him  what  he  thought  best.  The  follow- 
ing letter  to  Judge  Branch  will  show  the  Commodore's 
feelings  on  the  subject: 


392  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

Chester,  Pa.,  Oct.  27tli,  1829. 

My  Dear  Sir :  Your  highly  esteemed  favor  of  the  23d,  has  this 
day  been  received.  Permit  me  to  repeat  to  you  assurances  of  the 
most  lively  gratitude  for  the  interest,  from  the  beginning  of  my 
troubles  up  to  this  period,  which  you  have  manifested  in  my  con- 
cerns, and  to  assure  you  that  nothing  can  ever  obliterate  the  recol- 
lection of  it  from  my  memory. 

Permit  me  to  assure  you  also,  that  I  have  the  utmost  confidence 
in  the  good  and  kind  intentions  of  the  president  and  cabinet  towards 
me,  and  that  not  a  doubt  exists  in  my  mind,  that  in  due  time  he 
will  do  for  me  all  that  is  right  and  proper,  and  that  which  his  own 
honor  and  mine  require.  I  have  not  the  slightest  objection  to  his 
taking  his  own  time  about  it,  and  indeed  prefer  that  there  should 
be  no  haste  in  the  matter,  as  I  am  desirous  that  he  should  be  as 
much  influenced  by  public  sentiment  as  by  his  own  good  feelings 
towards  me. 

I  have  been  extremely  cautious  in  not  communicating  anything 
respecting  this  reparation,  except  to  my  father-in-law  and  another 
very  confidential  friend,  and  to  both  under  the  most  solemn  injunc- 
tions of  secrecy.  It  is  not  possible  that  the  public  can  obtain  any 
knowledge  of  it,  except  from  head  quarters.  I  am  aware  of  the  im- 
portance of  keeping  the  offers  made  to  me  close,  and  the  handle 
which  would  be  made  of  them  if  generally  known ,  To  no  one  but 
yourself  have  I  ever  expressed  my  feelings  on  this  subject,  and  on 
reflection  I  think  I  have  expressed  no  more  than  circumstances  war- 
ranted; considering  the  kindness  which  induced  the  ofl'er. 

My  intention  is  to  remain  here  perfectly  quiet,  until  I  am  called 
from  my  retirement  by  some  official  appointment.  A  visit  to  Wash- 
ington during  the  session  would  be  extremely  agreeable  to  me,  as  I 
am  desirous  of  thanking,  in  person,  the  many  friends  who  have  in- 
terested themselves  in  my  favor ;  but  I  fear  that  wrong  motives 
would  be  ascribed  to  such  visit,  and  the  obtaining  of  an  appoint- 
ment attributed  by  those  opposed  to  the  administration,  more  to  my 
own  importunities  than  to  a  predisposition  to  serve  me.  To  speak 
frankly,  I  think  it  will  be  more  to  the  honor  of  the  administration 
to  provide  suitably  for  me,  without  my  appearing  to  make  a  single 
effort  to  prevail  over  it  to  do  so.  This  idea,  which  I  hope  you  will 
coincide  with,  has  influenced  every  part  of  my  conduct  since  my  re- 
turn from  Mexico.  It  caused  me  to  leave  Washington,  so  soon  after 
I  had  delivered  the  dispatches  intrusted  to  me  as  possible  ;  it  has 
kept  me  tied  down  to  this  village,  and  induced  me  to  decline  the 
acceptance  of  every  invitation  of  a  public  nature  in  my  power  to 
avoid,  for  fear  it  might  be  thought  I  had  wished  to  excite  public 
feeling.     I  shall  endeavor,  however,  to  see  you  as  soon  as  possible, 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         393 

and  shall  not  be  happy  until  I  have  an  opportunity  of  taking  you  by 
the  hand.  Mrs.  Porter  desires  me  to  present  to  you  her  best  re- 
gards, accept  mine,  and  believe  me  most  truly  and  sincerely, 

Yours,        D.  Porter. 
Honorable  John  Branch,  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 

Washington,  D.  C. 

A  short  time  after  this,  the  president  proposed  to  make 
Commodore  Porter  governor  of  the  naval  asylum,  with 
the  highest  pay,  but  this  would  have  required  a  special 
act  of  congress,  and  would  have  brought  him  in  con- 
tact with  naval  administration,  to  which  under  no  cir- 
cumstances would  he  consent,  although  the  position  would 
otherwise  have  been  a  very  desirable  one.  He  also  de- 
clined the  appointment  of  marshal  of  the  District  of  Colum- 
bia, and  refused  a  collectorship  on  the  ground  that  he  did 
not  desire  to  hold  an  office  inferior  to  that  he  had  occupied 
in  the  navy;  but  the  following  letter  will  explain  his  views 
on  this  subject: 

Chester,  Oct.  10th,  1829. 

My  Bear  Sir:  I  received,  in  Baltimore,  your  esteemed  favor 
of  the  5th,  communicating  to  me  the  offer  of  the  president  to  give 
me,  for  the  present,  my  choice  of  the  office  of  marshal  of  the  District 
of  Columbia,  or  the  navy  agency  at  Gibraltar,  and  as  I  have  but > 
few  moments  before  the  departure  of  the  mail,  I  must  be  much 
briefer  in  explaining  myself,  than  I  should  have  been  under  other 
circumstances. 

In  the  first  place,  I  must  beg  you  to  assure  the  president  of  my 
entire  confidence  in  his  sincere  intention  to  serve  me,  and  of  my 
entire  gratitude  for  the  same,  and  would  most  cheerfully  accept  of 
any  situation  which  he  might  think  a  proper  one  for  me,  were  my 
interests  alone  concerned ;  but  having  a  good  deal  of  the  pride  of  feel- 
ing, which  has  been  deeply  wounded,  my  first  desire  is  that  it  should 
be  gratified  regardless  of  pecuniary  considerations. 

The  navy  agency  at  Gibraltar,  were  I  a  commercial  man  and  could 
connect  commerce  with  the  agency,  would  be  highly  desirable,  but 
as  I  have  no  knowledge  of  commerce  and  no  desire  or  capital  to  em- 
bark in  it,  the  agency  would  neither  gratify  my  pride  nor  afford  a  sup- 
port for  my  family.  The  appointment  of  marshal  is  still  more 
unsuitable  for  me,  for  were  the  income  unlimited  in  its  amount,  I 
could  never  reconcile  it  to  myself  to  be  under  the  necessity  of  draw- 
ing my  support  from  the  misery  of  others.  Therefore,  this  is  an 
50 


394  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

ofl&ce  that  cannot  be  thought  of  with  any  other  feelings  than  those 
of  the  most  painful  kind. 

In  order  that  the  president  may  understand  distinctly,  what  would 
be  agreeable  to  me,  and  therefore  be  relieved  from  the  trouble  and 
anxiety  he  feels  on  my  account,  I  beg  you  to  say  to  him,  that  I  want 
him  to  place  me  before  the  nation,  and  the  world  in  a  prominent 
office,  not  inferior  in  point  of  respectability  to  those  I  have  volun- 
tarily resigned,  the  one  in  the  navy  of  the  United  States,  the  other 
in  that  of  Mexico.  I  want  an  office  of  honor  and  trust,  and  a  salary 
not  dependent  on  any  contingency.  The  amount  of  salary  is  not  of 
consequence  to  me,  for  whatever  it  may  be  I  will  contrive  to  live  on  it. 

For  the  present,  and  to  produce  a  suitable  effect  on  the  people  of 
the  United  States,  as  well  as  on  my  political  opponents  in  Mexico, 
I  beg  leave  to  suggest  that  sending  me  to  that  republic  in  any  public 
character,  with  or  without  outfit  or  salary,  if  it  were  only  for  one 
month  or  one  week,  would  be  the  most  gratifying  thing  the  presi- 
dent could  do  for  me  and  my  family. 

Mr.  Poinsett  and  the  whole  legation  are,  I  understand,  to  be  re- 
moved, a  ship  is  to  sail  immediately  to  bring  them  home,  if  any 
difficulty  prevents  my  taking  his  place  and  rank,  cannot  I  be  sent 
in  the  character  of  charge,  until  another  minister  is  sent  ?  Some 
one  will  be  required  to  bear  the  dispatches,  will  not  I  do  as  well  as 
another,  and  cannot  I  remain  if  it  is  necessary  I  should  remain  ? 
This  is  the  height  of  my  ambition,  and  to  be  thought  worthy  of  be- 
ing intrusted  with  the  interests  of  this  country,  after  all  that  has 
been  done  and  said  against  me,  will  amply  compensate  me  for  all 
my  sufferings. 

I  have  been  but  forty-eight  hours  with  my  family  for  nearly  four 
years,  and  yet,  dearly  as  I  love  them  and  dearly  as  they  love  me,  I 
am  willing  to  leave  this  country  at  one  hour's  notice,  for  Mexico ; 
and  if  I  can  be  there  under  its  protection  one  week,  I  shall  be  fully 
contented  for  the  remainder  of  my  life  to  endure  penury. 

Ask,  I  beg  you,  the  president  to  excuse  me  for  this  suggestion, 
and  to  make  allowance  for  those  who  have  drank  deeply  of  the  cup 
of  misery,  and  to  grant  to  me  a  favor  that  1  hope  may  not  prove  in- 
convenient. With  sentiments  of  the  greatest  respect,  I  remain, 
truly  and  sincerely  yours,  D.  Porter. 

Honorable  John  Branch,  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

Some  appointment  was  necessary  to  enable  the  Commo- 
dore to  support  his  family,  and  finally  President  Jackson 
appointed  him  consul  general  to  Algiers,  on  the  18th  of 
March,  1830,  a  position  that  was  altogether  agreeable  to 
him. 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         395 

The  Commodore  was  evidently  very  desirous  to  return 
to  Mexic9,  i^  some  official  capacity,  under  the  United 
States  government.  It  must  be  confessed,  that  he  had  a 
feelingof  animosity  against  the  government  thathad  treated 
him  so  badly.  He  desired  to  triumph  over  his  enemies, 
even  at  the  expense  of  his  own  comfort,  and  had  in  him 
that  spirit  of  resistance  that  nothing  could  quell.  Fortun- 
ately, there  was  no  opening  for  him  in  that  direction,  for 
though  Mr.  Poinsett  was  anxious  to  retire  from  a  post 
where  he  had  met  with  so  many  annoyances,  he  determined 
to  remain  until  he  taught  the  Mexicans  to  respect  the 
United  States  flag,  which  he  finally  did. 

The  Commodore  would  indeed  have  been  pleased  to  lead 
a  fleet  against  Vera  Cruz,  and  batter  down  its  walls,  and 
nothing  would  have  gratified  him  more,  than  to  have  lived 
to  see  Mexico  humbled  to  the  dust  by  the  Americans. 

His  fortunes  were  now  completely  wrecked,  so  that  he 
was  rendered  supremely  happy  by  the  appointment  of 
consul  general,  and  lost  no  time  in  repairing  to  his  post, 
taking  passage  in  the  sloop-of-war  Boston,  commanded  by 
an  old  friend.  Captain  Storer. 

In  July  or  August,  1830,  the  Boston  reached  Port  Mahon, 
where  Commodore  Porter  met  the  American  squadron, 
under  Commodore  Biddle,  in  which  were  many  of  his  old 
associates  with  whom  he  kept  up  the  most  amicable  relations, 
but  he  would  accept  of  none  of  Biddle's  proffered  hospi- 
tality, adhering  to  his  resolution  not  to  associate  with  any 
of  those  who  had  been  instrumental  in  driving  him  from 
the  navy.  However,  Commodore  Biddle  behaved  very  well 
on  this  occasion,  seeming  desirous  to  do  away  with  any 
ill  feeling.  He  placed  the  Boston  at  the  Commodore's  dis- 
posal, with  the  privilege  of  taking  her  where  he  pleased, 
and  keeping  her  as  long  as  he  thought  necessary.  Commo- 
dore Biddle  also  showed  his  kindness,  in  protecting  the 
Commodore's  son.  Midshipman  Porter,  from  the  arbitrary 
conduct  of  the  latter's  commanding  officer,  who  had  tried 
to  prevent  the  midshipman  from  receiving  his  warrant, 
ostensibly  because  he  had  played  a  practical  joke  upon  the 
schoolmaster,  the  real  motive  being  the  failure  of  the  said 
midshipman  to  pick  up  the  worthy  captain's  cocked  hat, 
which  was  dropped  overboard  on  the  return  of  the  latter 


396  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

from  a  dinner  party,  and  never  missed  until  the  boat  got 
alongside ! 

Commodore  Porter  arrived  at  Algiers  on  the  Slst  of 
August,  1830,  and  not  finding  the  person  there,  whom  he 
was  sent  to  relieve,  he  left  for  Tunis  to  avoid  a  vexatious 
quarantine,  with  the  intention  of  visiting  all  the  consular 
posts  in  the  Barbary  States,  as  they  were  dependencies  on 
his  consul  generalship. 

In  the  meantime,  France  had  made  war  on  Algiers, 
and  captured  the  place,  and  there  was  no  longer  any  ne- 
cessity of  keeping  a  government  representative  there.  As 
soon  as  this  was  known  to  President  Jackson,  who  never 
forgot  a  promise  or  a  friend,  he  had  the  office  of  charge 
d'affaires  to  Turkey  established  by  act  of  congress,  and 
on  the  15th  of  April,  1831,  Commodore  Porter  was  com- 
missioned to  fill  the  place.  Commodore  Biddle  imme- 
diately sent  the  sloop  of  war,  John  Adams,  Captain 
Yoorhees,  to  take  him  to  Constantinople. 

The  following  letter,  from  Commodore  Porter,  will  give 
an  insight  into  the  history  of  those  times,  and  we  there- 
fore deem  it  worthy  of  insertion  : 

Port  Mahon,  November  26,  1830. 
My  Dear  Friend :  after  visiting  Gibraltar,  this  place,  Algiers, 
Tunis,  Naples  and  Leghorn,  I  have  returned  here  to  pass  the  winter, 
unless  otherwise  ordered  or  unless  I  go  to  Tunis.  Of  course  you 
know  the  fate  of  Algiers.  From  the  circumstances  which  have  since 
transpired,  there  cannot  be  a  doubt  that  the  city  was  sold  to  the 
French  by  the  dey,  Hussien  Pasha;  and  that  the  price  of  it  was  the 
two  millions  of  dollars  and  an  immense  amount  of  jewels  and  other 
valuable  articles,  which  he  was  allowed  to  take  away  with  him.  The 
fact  is,  that  he  had,  ever  since  the  death  of  Alii  Kogia,  shut  himself 
up  in  the  fortified  palace  of  Casauba,  with  his  treasure,  where  he  was 
literally  a  prisoner  longing  for  his  liberty,  for  he  dare  not  leave  the 
place  for  fear  of  being  put  to  death.  The  arrival  of  the  French  and 
delivery  of  the  city  to  them  produced  his  release.  He  was  permitted 
to  take  with  him  whatever  he  called  his  own,  and  a  frigate  was  sent 
with  him,  his  treasures,  his  family  and  connections  amounting  to  two 
hundred  men  and  women,  when  he  was  landed  with  all  the  honors 
of  a  prince.  He  applied  for  a  passage  in  the  U.  S.  sloop-of-war, 
Boston,  to  Leghorn,  which  of  course  was  refused.  I  afterwards  saw 
him  in  the  street  in  Leghorn,  where  he  has  formed  a  connection  with 
some  Jews,  one  of  whom  is  Bonsenac  of  the  firm  of  Boncara  and 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  397 

Bonsenac,  who  made  the  contract  with  Bonaparte  in  Egypt,  for  sup- 
plies for  the  troops,  and  which  has  been  the  principal  cause  of,  or 
pretext  for,  the  difficulties  between  the  dey  and  France. 

The  dey  intends,  he  says,  to  establish  at  Leghorn,  a  banking 
house,  and  as  there  are  12000  Jews  in  that  place,  enjoying  in  all 
respects  the  rights  of  Christians,  and.  who  have  the  management  of 
all  the  money  concerns  of  Italy,  and  particularly  Tuscany,  he  will 
no  doubt  do  well.  But  the  meanness  and  cupidity  of  the  wretch 
are  beyond  all  bounds,  for  it  is  said  and  believed  that  he  has 
declared  his  intention  of  applying  to  the  French  government  for  a 
pension. 

He  attempts  to  keep  up  the  state  and  pretensions  of  a  prince, 
but  from  what  I  can  see  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  were  it  not  for 
his  enormous  wealth,  he  must  be  considered  little  better  than  a  ped- 
ler.  At  Naples  he  shook  off  about  50  persons  of  his  tail,  as  the 
highlander  in  Waverly  calls  it,  and  left  that  place  for  Leghorn  with 
the  rest  in  a  steamboat,  after  jewing  the  captain  down  to  ten  dollars 
for  each  person,  white,  brown  and  black.  He  had  a  motley  set  of 
cut-throat  vagabonds  about  him.  It  is  said  about  forty  more  were 
to  be  shaken  off  at  Leghorn. 

Bonsenac  says  that  in  one  case,  which  was  too  large  to  be  taken 
into  the  door  of  the  dey's  house  near  Leghorn,  and  which  conse- 
quently had  to  be  broken  to  take  out  the  contents,  he  saw  guns, 
pistols  and  swords,  covered  with  gold  and  studded  with  diamonds 
and  other  precious  stones,  to  the  amount  of  at  least  $200,000.  He 
says  he  does  not  know  what  the  dey  is  worth,  nor  does  the  dey 
know  himself;  but  from  what  he  has  seen,  he  is  induced  to  believe 
that  he  is  the  richest  private  individual  in  the  world.  This  is  cer- 
tain, the  French  could  only  remit  to  Toulon  from  Algiers,  the 
comparatively  small  amount  of  sixteen  millions  of  dollars  out  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  millions,  which  were  known  to  have  been  not  long 
before  in  the  treasury.  That  there  has  been  great  plundering,  and  that 
chiefly  by  the  dey  and  the  party  faithful  to  him,  there  is  not  a  doubt ; 
and  it  is  equally  certain  that  he  had  long  been  preparing  himself  to 
remove  with  his  wealth.  The  French  have  instituted  an  inquiry 
into  this  matter,  and  have,  I  understand,  acquitted  Marshal  Beau- 
mont, who  was  suspected  of  applying  part  of  it  to  his  own  use. 

The  French  appear  somewhat  at  a  loss  what  to  do  with  Algiers. 
They  do  not  occupy  one  foot  of  territory  beyond  the  reach  of  their 
shot,  yet  they  are  about  forming  what  they  call  an  agricultural 
society,  and  offer  to  make  large  grants  in  the  interior,  to  such  as  are 
disposed  to  settle  there,  hoping  thereby  to  induce  the  Swiss  to  emi- 
grate, and  interpose  a  barrier  of  armed  peasantry  between  the  French 
troops  and  the  Arabs  who  wofully  annoy  them.     At  the  expiration 


398  Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter. 

of  four  years,  if  tlie  occupant  wishes  to  retain  his  land,  for  which 
time  he  has  the  use  of  it  gratis,  it  will  be  sold  to  him  at  the  rate  of 
five  francs  an  arpent.  This  looks  like  selling  the  skin  before  the 
bear  is  killed  ! 

The  expedition  has  cost  France  a  vast  deal  of  money,  more  than 
she  found  in  the  treasury,  and  she  is  compelled  now  to  resort  to 
every  means  of  remunerating  herself.  Among  other  things,  she 
is  about  forming  a  company,  somewhat  similar  to  the  British  East 
India  Company,  to  occupy  the  eastern  part  of  the  regency.  Every- 
thing in  fact  indicates  a  disposition  to  hold  on  to  what  they  have 
got,  and  to  make  the  most  of  it,  and  I  am  of  opinion  that  this  origi- 
nated in  their  disappointment  about  the  treasure.  Bona,  which  was" 
given  up  by  its  bey,  is  now  occupied  by  the  French.  They  are 
widening  the  streets  of  Algiers,  numbering  the  houses,  and  they 
have  reduced  the  garrison  to  five  thousand  troops,  but  say  they  in- 
tend extending  their  conquests  in  the  spring.  I  not  only  think 
they  will  not,  but  I  think  they  cannot. 

They  speak  of  sending  forces  to  occupy  Tunis  and  Tripoli.  They 
have  already  taken  advantage  of  the  panic,  which  the  capture  of 
Algiers  produced,  and  have  extorted  from  Tripoli  a  large  amount 
of  money.  They  have  compelled  the  bey  of  Tunis  to  submit  to  a 
most  onerous  treaty,  and  have  paved  the  way  for  great  opposition  to 
any  military  operations  that  may  be  set  on  foot,  in  either  of  those 
regencies.  If  the  French  occupy  Tunis  or  Tripoli,  they  will  only 
occupy  their  ruins.  Their  princes  are  native  Moors.  They  are  not 
prisoners  in  their  own  castles,  but  have  their  extensive  regencies 
open  to  them,  to  any  part  of  which  they  can  retire,  and  will,  if  it 
becomes  necessary,  retire  with  their  treasures,  families  and  people, 
when  opposition  can  no  longer  avail.  When  combined  Europe 
could  not  prevail  over  Saladin,  what  can  France  alone  expect  or 
hope  for,  when  opposed  by  the  combined  efforts  of  the  princes  and 
sheiks  of  Africa  ?  Hussein  Pasha  was  a  Turk,  and  as  such,  was 
hated  by  the  Moors  of  Algiers,  yet  great  efforts  were  made  to  oppose 
the  invaders,  not  on  his  account,  but  on  account  of  their  religion . 
What  progress  has  France  made  in  this  conquest?  Now  Algiers 
was  sold  to  her,  and  it  is  unsafe  for  a  Frenchman  to  go  outside  the 
walls.  What  then  must  the  French  expect  if  they  assail  Tunis  and 
Tripoli  ?  A  war  of  extermination  carried  on  by  bigoted  Arabs,  led 
on  by  native  princes. 

I  have  given  you  this  long  and  tolerably  detailed  account  of  facts 
and  my  opinions,  in  the  hope  that  it  might  amuse  you  and  your 
friends,     I   have    drawn  it  up   in   great   haste,  and  as  I  write   a 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         399 

very  cramped  hand,  I  leave  you  to  make  it  out  for  them  the  best 
way  you  can. 

With  my  best  respects  for  every  member  of  your  family,   and  a 
kiss  for  my  little  namesake,  accept  assurances  of  my  great  esteem. 

Yours  truly, 

David  Porter. 
J.  P.  McCorkle,  Esq. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


xN  August  1831,  Commodore  Porter  proceeded  to  his 
new  post  of  duty.  A  passage  was  granted  to  the  U.  S. 
ship,  John  Adams,  in  which  he  had  embarked,  to  pass  up 
the  Dardanelles  without  dismounting  her  guns,  a  favor 
which  at  that  time  was  seldom  granted  to  foreign  vessels 
of  war.  The  Turkish  authorities  at  first  insisted  that  the 
John  Adams  should  not  be  exempted  from  the  operation 
of  this  rule,  but  the  Commodore  would  not  agree  to  Cap- 
tain Yoorhees  committing  so  humiliating  an  act,  for  he 
would  never  consent  to  see  the  American  flag  treated  with 
less  respect  than  that  of  the  most  favored  nation.  While 
waiting  the  decision  of  the  Turks,  the  Commodore  im- 
proved the  time  in  visiting  the  site  of  the  ancient  Troy, 
the  forts  of  the  Dardanelles,  and  in  cultivating  the  ac- 
quaintance of  the  Turkish  authorities,  until  the  governor 
of  the  forts  informed  him  that  a  firman  had  been  issued, 
to  permit  the  ship  to  pass  up.  The  Turks  were  much 
struck  with  the  beautiful  sloop  of  war,  and  as  the  sultan 
was  at  that  time  building  up  a  navy,  he  was  desirous  of 
personally  inspecting  her  at  Constantinople. 

Mahmoud  was  a  liberal  and  enlightened  monarch,  and 
particularly  interested  in  all  improvements  in  naval  archi- 
tecture, and  his  making  an  exception  in  favor  of  the  John 
Adams  created  quite  an  excitement  among  the  diplomatic 


400         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

representatives  in  Turkey,  who  all  wrote  voluminous  dis- 
patches to  their  respective  governments  on  the  occasion, 
but  the  sultan,  determined  to  have  his  own  way  in  the 
matter,  did  not  even  heed  the  remonstrances  of  the  grand 
vizier,  who  looked  upon  the  whole  transaction  as  a  fearful 
breach  of  diplomatic  etiquette.  At  that  time,  it  was  not 
customary  for  a  simple  charge  d'  affaires  to  be  received  by 
the  sultan,  but  the  Commodore  determined  that  the  Turks 
should  recognize  the  representative  of  the  United  States, 
with  as  much  form  as  they  did  the  ministers  of  the  three 
great  European  powers,  and  he  accordingly  made  such  re- 
presentations to  the  porte,  through  the  dragoman,  that 
Mahmoud  consented  to  receive  him,  informally  but  not 
officially;  the  Turkish  government  only  recognize  the 
high  rank  of  minister  as  entitled  to  a  public  reception  at 
the  hands  of  the  sultan,  and  only  considered  that  a  foreign 
government  paid  it  a  high  compliment  by  accrediting  a  full 
minister  to  the  porte.  The  Commodore  was  therefore 
obliged  to  be  satisfied  with  being  received  in  this  informal 
way,  as  it  would  have  been  a  great  breach  of  diplomatic 
etiquette  to  receive  a  charge  d'affaires  in  any  other  manner, 
or  on  an  equality  with  a  minister. 

All  official  business  of  a  foreign  representative  with  the 
porte,  is  conducted  through  a  dragoman,  and  the  person 
who  then  filled  this  important  office  under  Commodore 
Porter,  was  Mr.  William  B.  Hodgson  of  Virginia,  who  had 
the  reputation  of  being  an  accomplished  linguist,  and 
therefore  well  qualified  for  the  position  of  interpreter. 
There  was  also  another  official  attached  to  the  legation, 
Mr.  Ascaroglou,  an  Armenian,  whose  duty  it  was  to  inter- 
pret Mr.  Hodgson's  interpretation  to  the  interpreter  of 
the  grand  vizier  !  In  fact,  so  many  forms  had  to  be  gone 
through,  that  by  the  time  the  words  finally  reached  the 
minister,  their  meaning  was  quite  changed  in  passing 
from  one  language  to  another.  Besides,  the  dragoman 
and  the  interpreter,  the  Commodore's  nephew,  Mr.  George 
Porter,  was  attached  to  the  legation  as  secretary,  together 
with  two  cavasses,  old  janissaries  who  had  escaped  the 
massacre.  These  latter  individuals  were  furnished  by  the 
porte,  to  hold  communication  with  the  American  repre- 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         401 

Bentative,  and  to  precede  him  and  the  dragoman  whenever 
they  went  abroad. 

The  Commodore  was  appalled  at  learning  what  a  multi- 
tude of  forms  had  to  be  gone  through  with,  before  he 
could  speak  in  the  presence  of  his  celestial  majesty.  Di- 
plomacy was  an  art  in  which  he  had  received  no  instruc- 
tion, and  judging  from  the  objections  he  made  to  genuflec- 
tions and  other  necessary  formalities,  he  was  about  to  prove 
himself  a  very  unapt  scholar,  but  he  finally  consented  to 
take  instructions  from  Mr.  Ascaroglou,  as  to  how  he 
should  enter,  and  how  retire  from  the  sublime  presence. 

The  Armenians  are  the  greatest  adepts  in  diplomacy  of 
any  people  in  Turkey,  and  Ascaroglou  was  the  Turveydrop 
of  his  race.  He  knew  to  a  fraction,  just  how  near  to 
bring  his  forehead  to  the  ground  on  every  occasion  of 
ceremony.  In  the  presence  of  the  sultan  he  would  bump 
his  head  against  the  floor,  with  force  enough  to  knock  an 
ordinary  man's  brains  out ;  to  the  grand  vizier  he  would 
not  strike  it  quite  so  hard ;  to  the  other  ministers  he 
would  drop  on  one  knee,  bow  his  head  and  cross  his  hands 
over  his  breast;  to  the  next  in  grade  his  salute  was  a  low 
salaam,  his  hand  on  his  forehead,  to  the  next  below  a 
rather  familiar  salaam  and  a  smile ;  while  to  persons  of 
his  own  rank  you  could  see  nothing  but  the  twitching  of 
his  long  ears  which  moved  to  show  that  he  recognized 
their  existence,  but  would  die  sooner  than  make  the  first 
advances.  However  should  one  of  his  equals  salute  him 
first,  he  received  in  return  a  condescending  salaam,  and  the 
expression  of  a  hope  *'that  it  might  never  rain  upon  his 
grave."  Mr.  Ascaroglou,  then,  was  an  authority  that  the 
charge  d'afiaires  could  not  dispute,  especially  when  backed 
by  the  dragoman,  Mr.  Hodgson,  who  though  but  recently 
arrived  in  Turkey  professed  to  know  all  about  the  diplo- 
matic customs. 

The  Commodore  did  not  mind  so  much  having  to  make 
a  salaam  in  going  into  the  mighty  presence,  but  the  idea 
of  walking  backwards  to  the  door  with  his  eyes  fixed  upon 
the  ground  he  thought  was  a  little  too  much !  he  had 
never  backed  out  of  anything  yet,  and  he  thought  it  unbe- 
coming an  American  citizen  to  follow  sucli  practices.  So 
while  taking  his  instructions  in  regard  to  the  manner  of 
51 


402  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

proceeding,  he  determined  in  his  own  mind  to  do  pretty 
much  as  he  thought  proper. 

On  the  appointed  day,  the  charge  d'affaires  and  his  suite 
repaired  to  the  imperial  palace,  on  the  banks  of  the  Bos- 
phorus,  where  the  sultan  was  to  meet  the  American  repre- 
sentative. His  majesty  came  in  a  magnificent  caique, 
covered  with  carving  and  gilding,  and  pulled  by  twenty- 
four  heculean  Greeks.  When  the  sultan  landed,  the  Com- 
modore and  his  attendants,  though  close  to  the  Turks, 
were  unnoticed  bj^  the  latter,  who  considered  the  Christians 
highly  honored  by  being  allowed  to  look  upon  the  mighty 
potentate,  whose  nod  could  deprive  the  highest  of  his 
subjects  of  their  lives  and  property. 

The  sultan  did  not  compel  the  Americans  to  wait  long. 
Refreshments  were  served  them  in  an  ante  room,  followed 
by  pipes  and  coffee.  The  pipe  stems  were  of  jasmine,  and 
the  pipes  and  coffee  cup  holders  were  studded  with  dia- 
monds. As  to  the  coffee,  it  was  such  as  only  the  Turks 
can  prepare.  After  enjoying  these  luxuries,  the  Commo- 
dore and  party  were  usher.ed  into  the  reception  saloon,  a 
beautiful  apartment  decorated  in  the  most  elaborate  oriental 
style,  where  the  sultan,  surrounded  by  his  high  dignitaries, 
gave  them  audience.  The  sultan  kept  his  seat  according 
to  custom,  but  motioned  the  Commodore  to  a  chair  by  his 
side,  which  was  immediately  occupied  by  the  American 
representative,  in  the  same  manner  as  if  he  had  been  call- 
ing on  the  president  of  the  United  States,  leaving  Mr. 
Ascaroglou  to  bow  to  the  ground  as  often  as  suited  him, 
which  he  accordingly  did  a  sufficient  number  of  times  to 
satisfy  even  Turkish  etiquette,  meanwhile  all  the  others 
remained  standing.  The  interview  was  short,  as  these 
audiences  generally  are,  the  sultan  wished  his  guest  happi- 
ness and  prosperity,  paid  some  compliments  to  the  United 
States,  made  some  inquiries  about  the  navj,  and  informed 
the  Commodore  that  he  would  send  a  constructor  on  board 
the  John  Adams  to  take  the  ship's  lines,  etc. 

The  papers  accrediting  Commodore  Porter  charge  d' 
affaires  were  then  handed  to  the  sultan's  principal  drago- 
man, and  after  a  short  conversation  on  general  topics  the 
sultan  rose  and  the  Commodore  and  party  backed  out  in 
very  good  style  from  the  imperial  presence,  the  Commodore 
bowing  and  the  rest  making  the  Turkish  salaam. 


Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter.         403 

During  the  first  few  years  of  his  residence  in  Turkey, 
Commodore  Porter  occupied  a  modest  house  in  Pera,  a 
suburb  of  Constantinople,  in  great  contrast  to  the  residences 
of  the  representatives  of  the  great  European  powers,  which 
were  gorgeous  palaces  kept  up  in  a  princely  style.  At  his 
house  he  received  all  Americans,  visiting  Constantinople, 
with  great  hospitality,  and  afforded  them  so  many  facili- 
ties of  various  kinds  that  everybody  left  with  the  kindest 
feelings  towards  him.  This  is  not  always  the  case  with 
our  ministers  abroad,  who  apparently  forget  what  they  are 
sent  for,  and  sometimes  disgust  their  countrymen  by  treat- 
ing them  with  indifference,  only  attending  to  the  wants 
of  those  who,  from  their  strong  influence  at  home,  might 
make  trouble  for  the  representative  in  case  he  neglected 
their  interests. 

At  the  time  of  which  we  write,  the  great  summer  resort 
for  the  corps  diplomatique  was  Bayukderi  on  the  Bos- 
phorus,  six  miles  from  the  Black  sea,  where  the  breeze  from 
the  north  neutralized  what  would  otherwise  have  been  the 
intense  heat  of  the  climate.  Here  the  foreign  ministers 
lived  in  elegant  style,  and  owned  handsome  caiques  in 
which  they  skimmed  over  the  waters  of  the  Bosphorus. 
The  Commodore  had  sufficient  occupation  for  a  year  or 
two  in  becoming  acquainted  with  the  mysteries  of 
diplomacy,  which,  in  the  opinion  of  these  ministers,  was 
the  most  important  subject  with  which  the  human  intellect 
could  grapple,  and  not  a  man  of  them  would  have  deviated 
a  hair's  breadth,  from  the  prescribed  rules  of  the  Turkish 
court,  even  in  a  case  of  life  and  death.  He,  however,  de- 
rived more  pleasure  from  visiting  the  little  villages  of 
Madsciar,  Kallessi  and  Umur  Keni,  and  in  climbing 
Yash-a-dagh  (the  Giant's  mountain),  than  from  the  society 
of  diplomatists  who  were  apparently  animated  solely  by  a 
desire  to  live  in  the  smiles  of  the  sultan,  and  who,  for  the 
honor  of  an  audience,  would  salaam  to  the  earth  an  un- 
limited number  of  times. 

Shortly  after  the  Commodore  had  delivered  his  creden- 
tials, he  was  riding  through  Tersaneh  (the  government 
dock  yard),  when  he  met  the  sultan  on  horseback,  accom- 
panied by  only  two  attendants.  His  majesty  stopped  and 
bowed,  and  then  sent  a  messenger  to  say  that  he  would  be 


404  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

happy  if  the  Commodore  would  accompany  him  through 
the  dock  yard,  for  the  sultan  was  well  aware  that  the 
American  representative  was  an  experienced  naval  com- 
mander, and  was  anxious  to  have  the  benefit  of  his 
professional  opinion.  He  joined  the  sultan,  and  they 
walked  through  the  dock  yard,  and  examined  the  ships  on 
the  stocks,  talking  as  familiarly,  through  an  interpreter, 
as  if  they  had  known  each  other  for  years.  The  Commo- 
dore, with  great  frankness,  pointed  out  all  the  defects  in 
the  Turkish  naval  system,  without  offense  to  his  majesty, 
who  told  him  he  would  send  his  naval  pasha  to  consult 
with  him  on  the  subject,  which  he  did. 

This  interview  made  such  an  agreeable  impression  upon 
the  sultan,  that  in  a  short  time  all  the  principal  dignitaries 
of  the  empire  called  on  the  Commodore,  and  invited  him 
to  their  palaces,  for  it  was  only  necessary  for  his  majesty  to 
notice  anybody  with  marks  of  favor,  to  have  him  receive 
every  attention.  The  interview  was  soon  known  to  the 
foreign  ministers,  who  talked  over  it  for  a  week,  attribut- 
ing it  with  true  diplomatic  stupidity  to  every  motive  but  the 
right  one,  viz  :  the  sultan's  desire  to  obtain  naval  informa- 
tion. 

The  valley  of  Sweet  waters  was  a  favorite  resort  of 
the  sultan,  especially  on  the  days  when  it  was  visited  by 
the  ladies  of  Constantinople  in  great  numbers,  with 
children  and  attendants,  to  pass  the  time  amid  the  beau- 
tiful kiosks  and  retreats  which  every  where  abound.  It  is 
a  pleasing  picture  to  see  the  handsome  Turkish  children, 
dressed  in  their  picturesque  garb,  throwing  off  the  re- 
straints under  which  they  are  kept  in  the  harem,  and 
playing  around  as  any  other  children  would,  while  their 
mothers  and  nurses,  wrapped  in  white  yaskmacks,  with 
only  their  eyes  visible,  waddle  about  after  the  youngsters, 
like  so  many  ducks,  while  the  latter  are  dabbling  in  the 
silvery  waters  of  the  little  river  which  runs  through  the 
plain,  to  the  terror  of  their  unsophisticated  mammas. 

Turks  seldom  venture  to  intrude  upon  the  privacy  of 
the  families  assembled  here,  which  privacy  is  sacred  in 
their  eyes,  but  foreigners  did  sometimes  trespass  and  their 
presence  was  not  regarded  as  obnoxious,  so  long  as  they 
did  not  attempt  to  be  too  familiar.  ^Nothing  pleased  the 
Commodore  so  much,  as  to  visit  the  valley  of  Sweet  waters 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         405 

and  see  the  young  children  playing  on  the  green  sward, 
and  hear  their  joyous  shouts,  which  reminded  him  of  the 
loved  ones  at  home,  of  whom  he  had  seen  so  little  since 
1826,  that  he  scarcely  remembered  their  features.  It  was 
stern  necessity  which  parted  them  from  him,  the  necessity 
of  providing  for  and  educating  them,  which  he  could  not 
do  at  Constantinople. 

On  one  of  these  visits  the  Commodore  was  observed  by 
the  sultan,  who  sent  for  him  and  seating  him  near  by, 
offered  him  pipes  and  coffee,  to  which  luxury  he  had  be- 
come decidedly  addicted.  There  they  sat  and  talked  on 
naval  matters,  a  subject  of  which  his  majesty  was  never 
tired.  These  interviews  were  not  unfrequent,  for  the 
sultan  never  omitted  sending  for  the  Commodore  when  he 
saw  him  at  the  valley  of  Sweet  waters. 

The  Commodore  soon  began  to  like  the  Turks,  who 
treated  him  with  great  distinction  and  kindness.  He  es- 
teemed them  for  their  apparent  honesty,  for  they  would 
not  lie  like  Europeans,  nor  steal  like  Mexicans.  In  fact, 
he  liked  everything  connected  with  them  but  their  climate, 
which  was  already  making  inroads  on  his  constitution. 
Every  year,  on  this  account,  he  sought  for  some  new 
summer  retreat.  Once  he  tried  Princess  islands  in  the  sea  of 
Marmora,  where  there  are  beautiful  summer  residences, 
fitted  up  to  suit  either  European  or  Turkish  tastes.  Next,  he 
tried  a  summer  at  Scutari,  on  the  Asiatic  shore,  where  he 
amused  himself  by  long  drives  around  the  beautiful  coun- 
try, and  in  visiting  the  ruins  of  ancient  Chalcedon,  four 
miles  to  the  southward.  Finally  he  was  so  much  pleased 
with  a  visit  to  San  Stephano,  a  Greek  town,  that  he  rented 
a  kiosk  there  for  the  summer,  and  finally  purchased  the 
residence  from  its  owner,  a  Greek  merchant. 

San  Stephano  lies  directly  on  the  sea  of  Marmora,  and 
is  noted  for  the  mildness  of  its  climate,  and  the  purity  of 
its  air.  He  found  his  residence  at  San  Stephano,  so  com- 
fortable and  homelike,  that  from  1834,  he  made  it  his 
abode,  never  again  passing  a  winter  in  the  city  of  Pera, 
although  he  retained  his  house  there  for  the  transaction  of 
the  business  of  the  legation.  At  Pera  he  would  spend 
the  day  on  festival  occasions,  or  when  called  upon  to  make 
official  visits. 


406  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

The  kiosk  at  Sau  Stephano,  was  a  cottage  built  of  brick 
and  wood,  with  a  porch  nearly  all  around  it,  and  situated 
in  a  beautiful  garden  of  some  six  acres,  stocked  with 
the  choicest  fruits.  The  garden  was  the  chief  attraction 
of  the  place,  and  the  Commodore  spent  much  of  his  time 
with  his  books,  seated  under  the  umbrageous  trees,  whence 
a  most  magnificent  view  was  presented  of  the  sea  of 
Marmora. 

This  was  his  life  in  summer,  but  in  winter  he  was  rather 
lonesome  in  his  snug  quarters,  till  in  1834,  his  brother-in- 
law  Dr.  Heap,  who  had  been  for  many  years  consul  to 
Tunis,  paid  him  a  visit  with  his  whole  family,  including 
the  Commodore's  widowed  sister,  Mrs.  Mary  Brown, 
and  her  son  John  P.  Brown.  When  Dr.  Heap's  visit 
ended,  the  Commodore  invited  Mrs.  Brown  and  her  son 
to  make  his  house  their  future  home,  and  from  that  time 
Mrs.  Brown  became  the  female  head  of  his  establishment, 
and  added  so  much  to  his  comfort  by  her  care  and  watch- 
fulness, that  life  became  much  more  pleasant  to  him.  He 
had  his  nephew  John  P.  Brown  educated  by  direction  of 
the  state  department,  to  perform  the  duties  of  dragoman, 
and  he  succeeded  Mr.  Hodgson  in  that  post.  Mr.  Brown 
remained  in  the  diplomatic  service  at  Constantinople  from 
1836  till  his  death  in  1871,  during  which  time  he  acted  in 
difierent  years  as  charge  d'affaires  with  great  credit  to 
himself,  and  satisfaction  to  the  United  States  government. 

Considering  himself  now  permanently  settled  in  Con- 
stantinople, and  having  no  fear  of  political  parties,  the 
Commodore  commenced  embellishing  the  beautiful  spot 
he  had  purchased  for  a  residence,  and  added  so  much  to 
the  size  of  his  kiosk  that  the  original  building  was  quite 
lost  sight  of,  and  in  its  place  appeared  a  very  handsome 
residence,  in  the  modern  Greek  style,  containing  all  the 
conveniences  that  could  be  desired.  The  Palace^  as  he 
playfully  called  it,  was  divided  into  three  compartments, 
one  comprising  his  own  suite  of  rooms,  including  recep- 
tion room,  sitting  room,  library,  dining  room,  bed  room 
and  bath  room.  The  middle  portion,  which  was  the 
original  building,  he  called  the  harem,  as  it  was  appro- 
priated to  his  sister,  who  there  entertained  the  guests  of 
the  family.     The  other  wing  was  particularly  devoted  to 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         407 

diplomatic  guests  and  entertainments,  the  lower  rooms 
were  occupied  by  his  secretary,  Mr.  Porter.  A  large  din- 
ing room  for  guests,  and  a  small  one  for  his  family,  con- 
cludes the  list  of  rooms  in  his  establishment. 

The  larger  reception  chamber  was  furnished  in  Turkish 
style,  with  a  rich  carpet  and  a  divan  covered  with  Damas- 
cus satin.  The  curtains  were  of  the  same  material.  In 
the  centre  of  the  divan  a  mirror  extended  from  the  pier 
table  to  the  ceiling.  Around  the  room  stood  small  tables 
inlaid  with  mother-of-pearl,  and  containing  choice  books, 
or  ornamented  with  landscapes.  The  views  were  particu- 
larly beautiful  from  this  saloon,  the  windows  of  which  over- 
looked the  sea,  with  hundreds  of  vessels  continually  passing 
to  and  fro.  The  view  included  the  island  of  Marmora, 
from  which  the  Turks  obtain  the  marble  for  their  splendid 
palaces,  beyond  was  the  Asiatic  shore,  with  its  mountains 
and  valleys  covered  with  luxuriant  vegetation,  and  dotted 
with  numerous  hamlets  and  burial  places.  Farther  in 
the  interior  could  be  seen  the  snow  capped  mount  Olympus, 
rearing  its  head  9000  feet  above  the  sea  level,  a  grand 
spectacle,  above  which  the  classic  Greeks  of  old  imagined 
a  celestial  abode  bathed  in  eternal  sunshine,  free  from  the 
storms  that  vexed  the  lower  world,  and  peopled  by  the 
gods,  who,  feasting  on  nectar  and  ambrosia,  were  charmed 
by  the  music  of  Apollo's  lyre,  and  by  the  songs  of  the 
muses. 

Far  to  the  left  appeared  the  seven  beautiful  Princess 
islands,  the  three  largest  containing  the  country  seats  of 
many  wealthy  European  merchants.  It  was  on  one  of  the 
smaller  islands  that  Sir  Henry  Bulwer,  then  British 
ambassador,  expended  a  fortune  to  establish  a  chif  lick 
(farm),  with  a  splendid  kiosk  for  the  accomodation  of  a 
beautiful  Greek  princess,  the  light  of  his  eyes,  who  reck- 
less of  public  opinion  openly  received  the  attentions  of  the 
ambassador.  Away  to  the  left  is  seen  the  dark  red  houses 
of  Scutari,  relieved  only  by  the  cypresses  of  the  Greek 
cemetery,  while  the  city  of  Constantinople,  with  golden 
minarets,  handsome  palaces  and  private  edifices  orna- 
mented in  fanciful  style,  rises  from  the  rich  frame  of  the 
landscape  like  a  great  brilliant  in  a  golden  setting.  It  was 
a  view  such  as  cannot  be  imagined.     It  must  be  seen  to  be 


408  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

realized,  and  the  illusion  can  only  be  dissolved  by  entering 
the  city  and  being  surrounded  by  its  filth  and  dogs.  But 
no  inconveniences  of  the  sort  were  felt  at  San  Stephano, 
which  is  one  of  the  cleanest  little  villages  in  existence. 

The  Commodore's  grounds  were  surrounded  by  a  stone 
wall,  except  where  they  bordered  the  sea  shore,  where 
he  kept  his  boats.  He  had  a  fine  vineyard  producing 
chonech,  grapes,  a  light,  thin  skinned,  transparent  fruit, 
fit  for  the  palate  of  the  gods.  Fine  fruits  abounded, 
and  he  literally  reclined  under  his  own  vine  and  ^g 
tree.  From  the  door  of  the  kiosk  two  fine  avenues  of 
trees  led  to  the  entrance  gate,  on  one  side  of  which  was 
a  large  lodge  for  the  capougee,  on  the  other  a  lodge  for  the 
two  cavasses,  or  guards,  provided  for  the  minister,  by 
the  Turkish  government.  Besides  all  this,  there  was  a 
beautiful  flower  garden,  where  the  Commodore  amused 
himself  in  the  cultivation  of  choice  plants,  which  grow 
luxuriantly  in  that  climate. 

Like  most  sailors,  he  had  a  fondness  for  horses, 
which  his  means  now  enabled  him  to  indulge  in,  and 
he  procured  a  select  stock  at  a  moderate  outlay;  among 
them  several  Arabians  which  were  not  surpassed  by 
any  in  the  sultan's  stables.  One  of  the  horses  was  a 
beautiful  sorrel  colored  stallion,  whose  skin,  when  lighted 
by  the  sun,  shone  like  gold.  This  animal,  purchased  by 
the  Commodore  in  what  was  supposed  to  be  a  dying  con- 
dition, was  completely  cured  by  an  English  farrier,  and 
proved  to  be  of  inestimable  value.  He  had  also  fine  car- 
riage horses  and  good  English  carriages,  which  contributed 
essentially  to  his  enjoyment. 

One  of  the  first  things  he  did,  after  establishing  himself 
at  San  Stephano,  was  to  erect  a  tall  flagstafi*  in  the  centre 
of  the  grounds,  on  which  every  morning,  at  8  o'clock,  the 
American  flag  was  hoisted  by  the  capougee  and  the  two 
cava.sses,  who  went  through  with  as  much  ceremony  on 
the  occasion,  as  if  they  were  on  board  a  ship  of  war,  the 
Commodore  meanwhile  watching  them  from  the  portico, 
to  see  that  the  flag  he  loved  was  treated  with  proper  re- 
spect, and  that  it  was  hoisted  chock  up,  and  properly 
belayed,  after  which  the  three  worthies  would  step  back  a 
short   distance,  and  after  calmly  surveying  the  result  of 


Memoir  of  COxMmodore  David  Porter.         409 

their  combined  labors,  would  leisurely  stroll  back  to  their 
lodges  to  sit  and  smoke  the  rest  of  the  day.  The  capougee 
always  exclaimed,  "Mashallah,  we  did  that  well !  " 

Every  American  vessel  that  passed  San  Stephano  saluted 
that  flag  by  lowering  her  own  three  times  half  way  down, 
when  the  three  worthies  were  at  their  posts  to   return  it. 

On  Sundays  or  holidaj^s,  a  larger  ensign,  that  had  been 
presented  by  the  commander  of  a  ship  of  war,  was  raised, 
and  to  see  that  his  country's  honored  flag  was  thrown  to 
the  breeze  on  all  proper  occasions  seemed  now  to  be  one 
of  the  greatest  pleasures  of  the  Commodore's  life.  Long 
before  his  death  he  indicated  to  his  sister  the  spot  at  the 
foot  of  the  flag  staff  where  he  wished  to  be  buried,  until 
the  United  States  government  should  send  for  his  remains 
to  inter  them  in  his  native  land. 

In  1834  or  35,  the  American  missionaries  in  Syria  met 
with  severe  losses  by  fire,  and  were  finally  compelled  to 
leave  that  country  on  account  of  the  plague.  The  moment 
the  Commodore  heard  of  their  misfortunes,  he  invited  seve- 
ral of  the  families  to  reside  with  him  until  they  could  pro- 
vide for  themselves  in  a  suitable  manner  at  Constantinople, 
for  he  was  keenly  alive  to  the  misfortunes  of  others,  and 
particularly  those  who  had  given  up  their  homes  and 
country  to  ameliorate  the  condition  of  barbarous  peoples. 
On  the  occasion  of  the  great  conflagration  in  Pera,  when 
the  missionaries  in  that  city  were  all  burned  out,  and  also 
at  the  time  the  pestilence  was  raging  in  Constantinople, 
whole  families  found  shelter  beneath  his  hospitable  roof. 

He  took  deep  interest  in  the  prosperity  of  the  Ameri- 
can Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  which  had  recently  founded 
an  establishment  at  Constantinople,  frequently  visiting 
their  schools  to  watch  their  progress,  and  establishing 
one  at  his  own  expense  at  San  Stephano,  to  which  he 
gave  up  a  great  deal  of  his  time. 

In  the  year  of  the  great  pestilence,  when  all  who  could 
get  away,  were  fleeing  from  Constantinople,  his  house  was 
again  the  refuge  of  the  missionaries.  The  Palace,  as  it 
was  called,  was  fitted  with  a  fumigating  closet ;  carpets, 
curtains,  and  everything  that  could  contain  the  germs  of 
disease  were  removed,  and  nothing  was  left  except  the 
wooden  chairs  and  beds.  A  stranger  entering  the  house  — 
52 


410         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

after  being  fumigated — would  be  given  a  seat  on  a 
wooden  chair  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  so  as  not  to  in- 
troduce the  plague,  which  can  only  be  communicated  by 
contact.  In  this  way,  by  using  strict  precautions,  the 
Commodore  kept  the  pestilence  from  his  grounds,  and  no 
doubt  saved  many  lives. 

Although  of  a  kind  and  hospitable  dispx)sition,  he  had 
been  so  long  accustomed  to  the  discipline  of  a  ship  of  war, 
that  he  carried  out  the  same  system  in  his  household 
aifairs,  and  no  one  would  have  any  more  dreamed  of  dis- 
obeying his  orders,  than  if  they  had  been  serving  under 
his  command  on  shipboard.  Those  who  accepted  his 
hospitalit}^,  soon  learning  his  peculiarities,  were  always 
anxious  to  conform  to  his  rules ;  which  they  knew  were 
for  their  benefit.  It  was  his  habit  to  have  his  sister  read 
to  him  a  couple  of  hours  every  morning.  At  the  appointed 
time  he  was  in  his  seat,  clad  in  a  dressing  gown,  and  with 
a  magnificent  Angora  cat  by  his  side.  As  he  listened 
patiently  to  the  reading,  he  would  smooth  the  fur  on  An- 
gora's back,  often  no  doubt  meditating  over  the  events  of 
his  past  life.  The  reading  was  generally  of  a  solid  kind, 
theology,  history,  travels  and  the  classics.  At  the  conclu- 
sion he  would  retire  to  his  room  for  several  hours,  where 
no  one  ventured  to  disturb  him. 

His  meals  were  served  with  a  great  deal  of  form,  and 
his  table  laid  so  that  in  case  several  persons  should 
happen  to  come  in,  he  could  entertain  them  without  any 
change  or  confusion.  He  expected  every  one  to  be  in 
proper  toilette,  at  each  meal,  and  curl  papers,  slippers  or 
morning  wrappers  were  things  he  would  not  tolerate. 
Two  waiters  always  stood  at  his  table,  one  at  the  back  of 
his  own  chair  waited  exclusively  on  him.  He  had  a  Greek 
cook,  and  his  liking  for  Turkish  habits  extended  even  to 
their  cookery.  He  considered  it  a  good  rule,  when  in  a 
foreign  country,  to  follow  as  closely  as  possible  the  cus- 
toms of  the  people,  in  eating  and  drinking,  believing  such 
a  course  conducive  to  health. 

At  an  appointed  time  after  dinner,  the  Commodore's 
carriage  and  Hungarian  coach  horses  were  at  the  door, 
the  covasses  mounted  the  box  with  the  coachman,  and 
he  would  drive  around  the  environs  of  Constantinople, 


Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter.        411 

or  on  the  beach  on  the  south  side,  towards  Florida, 
a  sweet  little  valley  much  resorted  to  by  sportsmen 
in  the  quail  season,  who  after  a  morning's  sport  repaired 
thither  to  refresh'  themselves  and  count  their  game.  It  was 
also  a  great  place  fur  picnics,  where  the  Greek  and  Euro- 
pean beauties  assembled  to  show  their  graces.  The  Com- 
modore, who  was  a  great  admirer  of  beauty,  could  here 
see  it  displayed  in  every  nationality  and  costume.  He 
sometimes  ventured  on  a  flirtation  with  some  pretty  girl  of 
sixteen,  by  presenting  her  with  a  bunch  of  flowers,  and 
the  ladies  thought  themselves  privileged,  at  Floria 
especially,  when  honored,  as  they  considered  it,  by  the 
American  elchy  hey^s  attention.  To  his  last  days  he  con- 
tinued his  fondness  for  young  people,  whom  he  delighted 
to  amuse,  and  his  house  was  so  popular  with  them,  that  he 
had  no  chance  to  be  lonely. 

Fourth  of  July  was  his  day  of  days,  when  the  great  flag 
was  hoisted  at  San  Stephano,  and  the  anniversary  of  our 
independence  celebrated  by  a  united  dinner  of  all  the 
Americans  in  Constantinople.  Some  beautiful  spot  would 
be  chosen  by  the  Commodore  for  the  celebration,  where 
the  Declaration  of  Independence  was  read,  toasts  were  drank, 
and  a  short  patriotic  address  delivered  by  himself.  The 
celebration  was  not  considered  complete  without  the  pre- 
sence of  all  the  children,  for  it  was  the  Commodore's 
maxim  that  the  youth  should  be  imbued  with  the  principles 
of  liberty,  from  the  time  they  began  to  think,  and  that 
they  should  be  made  familiar  with  the  history  of  their 
country's  revolutionary  struggle,  and  venerate  Indepen- 
dence Day  as  the  greatest  of  anniversaries.  Besides,  he 
thought  that  no  festival  could  be  successful,  where  the 
happy  voices  of  children  were  not  heard. 

Perhaps  the  reader  may  weary  of  this  miimte  recital  of 
the  Commodore's  habits  of  life,  but  it  is  these  apparent 
trifles  which  enable  one  to  judge  of  a  man's  true  character. 
His  early  career  had  been  one  of  toil  and  excitement,  not 
calculated  to  fit  him  for  the  duties  of  domestic  life.  At 
that  period  he  was  indififerent  to  the  luxuries  of  refined 
society,  and  impatient  of  the  forms  and  ceremonies  which 
he  deemed  unsuited  to  the  profession  of  a  sailor.  Yet 
here  we  find  him,  at  Constantinople,  impressed  with  the 


412  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

necessity  of  conforming  to  all  things  affecting  his  posi- 
tion, and  though  it  was  at  first  disagreeable  to  have  to 
change  his  habits,  yet  so  capable  was  he  of  conform- 
ing to  circumstances,  that  his  new  duties  became  to 
him  as  second  nature.  In  fact,  the  sailor  was  so  com- 
pletely absorbed  by  the  diplomat,  that  one  would  never 
have  suspected  the  American  representative  of  having 
commanded  a  ship  of  war.  Few  men  ever  made  a  better 
impression  on  a  diplomatic  corps ;  and  his  intercourse  with 
the  foreign  representatives  at  Constantinople  was  of  the 
most  pleasant  kind.  He  was  well  known  to  them,  by  re- 
putation, for  his  services  to  his  country  on  the  ocean,  was 
appreciated  for  his  general  intelligence  and  savoir  faire, 
and  was  a  universal  favorite  in  public  and  in  private  circles. 
He  was  on  the  best  of  terms  possible  with  Lord  Ponsonby, 
Count  Portallis,  Count  Stirmir,  and  in  fact  with  all  the 
ambassadors. 

The  Barrout-jee  Pacha  (chief  of  the  imperial  powder 
works),  lived  on  the  outskirts  of  San  Stephano.  His 
palace  was  a  small  village  of  itself,  and  was  as  gorgeous  in 
its  equipments  as  some  of  the  sultan's.  The  Turkish 
pachas  are  apt,  as  a  general  thing,  to  be  careful  and 
not  make  too  much  external  show,  for  fear  of  excit- 
ing the  jealousy  of  the  government,  and  thus  invite  a  visit 
from  the  bow-string,  but  the  Barrout-jee  Pacha  was  a 
great  favorite  with  the  sultan,  a  large  portion  of  the  resi- 
dence was  fitted  on  purpose  for  the  latter's  reception,  and 
contained  a  suite  of  apartments  not  surpassed  by  any  in 
the  imperial  palace.  Here  his  majesty  would  often  come 
and  spend  the  whole  day,  and  on  such  occasions  would 
wander  incognito  around  San  Stephano,  that  is,  accom- 
panied only  by  the  pacha  and  one  or  two  attendants. 
The  sultan,  somehow,  always  managed  to  visit  the  Commo- 
dore's grounds,  which  he  admired  very  much,  and  the 
latter,  of  course  knowing  when  to  expect  him,  was  always 
ready  to  receive  his  majesty  in  a  proper  manner,  though 
without  any  special  ceremony  beyond  hoisting  the  large 
flag,  which  he  considered  honor  enough  for  any  one.  In 
this  way  the  sultan  and  himself  had  many  interviews  which 
gradually  paved  the  way  to  a  very  social  and  friendly  state 
of  afiairs ;  and  enabled  his  majesty  to  discuss  naval  matters 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         413 

fully,  with  one  whom  he  knew  was  master  of  his  profes- 
sion. The  Commodore  gradually  made  the  sultan  under- 
stand how  inferior  were  his  ships  of  war  to  those  of 
Europeans,  and  showed  all  the  defects  in  the  Turkish 
system  of  naval  administration. 

Mr.  Henry  Eckford,  the  celebrated  ship  builder,  had 
arrived  at  Constantinople  with  a  handsome  sloop  of 
war  (the  United  States  of  26  guns),  which  the  Turkish 
government  had  purchased,  and  the  Commodore  strongly 
advised  the  sultan  to  appoint  him  his  chief  naval  con- 
structor. This  w^as  done,  and  Mr.  Eckford  was  duly  in- 
stalled in  office,  with  high  pay  and  perquisites ;  but  the 
climate  not  agreeing  with  his  health,  he  was  compelled  to 
return  to  the  United  States.  Before  the  sultan  would 
agree  to  his  leaving  the  Turkish  service,  he  made  him 
send  to  America  for  his  foreman,  Mr.  Ehodes  (after- 
wards constructor  in  the  U.  S.  navy),  who  was  appointed 
in  his  place.  Mr.  Rhodes,  under  the  advice  and  direction 
of  the  Commodore,  made  great  improvements  in  the  Turk- 
ish ships,  and  held  his  position  for  some  years.  He  was  ulti- 
mately removed,  owing  to  the  intrigues  of  a  Turkish  pacha, 
with  whom  he  had  quarreled,  and  he  left  the  Turkish  navy 
just  when  it  was   about   starting  into   a  real   existence. 

It  was  during  a  visit  of  the  Commodore  to  the  United 
States,  in  1839,  that  this  difficulty  occurred.  The  Turks, 
knowing  his  influence  with  the  sultan,  took  advantage  of 
his  absence,  and  Rhodes,  once  out  of  place,  refused  to 
return  when  he  had  the  Commodore's  influence  to  back 
him.  In  the  year  above  mentioned.  Commodore  Porter 
returned  to  the  United  States  on  a  short  leave  of  absence, 
and  having  represented  to  the  government,  the  necessity 
of  a  more  important  mission  to  Turkey,  the  matter  was 
brought  to  the  attention  of  congress,  the  office  of  Minister 
Resident  was  created,  and  he  was  appointed  to  fill  that 
position,  March  3,  1839.  While  in  the  United  States,  he 
attended  the  weddings  of  two  of  his  sons,  and  made 
arrangements  for  the  education  of  his  other  children, 
after  which  he  repaired  again  to  his  post.  During 
his  absence  in  the  United  States,  his  friend  Sultan  Mah- 
moud  died,  and  was  succeeded  on  the  throne  by  the 
Sultan  Abdul  Mejid. 


414  Memoir  op  Commodore  David  Porter. 

Soon  after  his  return  to  Constantinople,  the  Commodore 
represented  to  the  Turkish  government,  that  as  he  had 
been  promoted  to  a  grade  which  placed  him  on  an  equality 
with  the  representatives  of  the  great  European  powers,  he 
would  like  permission  to  present  his  credentials  to  the 
sultan  in  person.  The  23d  of  May,  1841,  was  therefore 
appointed  by  his  majesty  for  that  interesting  ceremony. 
The  Commodore  started  from  his  residence  in  his  large 
eight  oared  caique,  with  the  American  flag  floating  at  the 
staif  on  the  stern,  and  accompanied  by  his  secretary,  dra- 
goman and  interpreter,  with  his  two  cavasses  sitting  up 
behind.  This  was  a  proud  day  for  one  who  had  always 
lookedforward  to  the  time  when  he  should  attain  the  dignity 
of  full  minister,  and  be  received  with  all  the  ceremony 
paid  to  the  representatives  of  the  most  favored  nations. 
His  holding  the  position  of  simple  charge  d'affaires  did 
not  make  any  difference  with  Sultan  Mahmoud,  who  re- 
ceived him  on  all  occasions,  nor  did  it  make  any  difference 
to  the  Turkish  ministers,  who  served  the  government  from 
time  to  time ;  Reschid  Pacha,  minister  of  foreign  affairs, 
Reza  Pacha,  minister  to  England,  Achmet  Pacha,  Said 
Pacha  and  Capoudan  Pacha  —  the  two  latter  brothers-in- 
law  of  the  sultan  —  Mustapha  Nouri  Pacha,  and  Kimal 
Pacha.  All  these  spoke  the  English  and  French  lan- 
guages, and  were  extremely  attentive  to  him  and  hos- 
pitable to  the  greatest  degree,  a  characteristic  of  the  Turks, 
whose  whole  system  of  social  intercourse  is  pervaded  by 
gentlemanly  kindness. 

The  Turkish  dignitaries  seldom  visit  foreigners,  but  the 
Commodore's  long  residence  in  the  country,  and  the  care  he 
had  taken  to  raise  no  unnecessary  points  with  the  Turkish 
government,  had  made  him  a  favorite  with  them,  and  they 
not  only  received  him  kindly  at  their  houses,  but  returned 
his  visits,  especially  in  summer,  when  one  had  only  to  step 
into  a  caique  and  land  at  the  doors.  Whenever  he  arrived 
at  one  of  these  hospitable  palaces,  a  number  of  servants 
were  always  in  waiting  to  escort  him  to  the  reception  room 
where  the  elchy  bey  (minister),  was  announced  with  great 
ceremony.  The  pacha  would  come  to  receive  him  with 
extended  hands,  and  the  salutation  "  hosche  guelden  saphia 
guelden,''  which  conveys  more  than  we  could  express  in  half 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         415 

a  page  of  English.  It  would  have  been  gratifying  to 
Americans  to  have  witnessed  the  respect  paid  to  their 
representative  at  the  Ottoman  Porte,  as  it  was  gratifying 
to  the  Commodore,  who  took  it  all  as  a  compliment  to  his 
country,  and  not  to  himself  personally.  After  his  appoint- 
ment as  minister,  he  felt  that  he  could  make  these  visits 
more  as  a  right,  than  when  he  was  only  charge  d'  affaires, 
and  quite  satisfied  in  this  conclusion  he  made  his  way  to 
Sultan  Abdul  Mejid's  palace.  The  .  ceremonies  were 
more  imposing  than  on  the  former  occasion.  The  sultan 
arrived  in  his  great  carved  and  gilded  caique,  dressed  in  a 
European  frock  coat,  with  a  Turkish  fez  on  his  head,  and 
a  single  great  diamond  on  his  breast.  He  was  seated 
under  a  golden  canopy,  around  which  his  ministers  were 
grouped,  their  eyes  fixed  to  the  deck,  while  an  officer  with 
a  drawn  scimetar  stood  motionless  as  a  statue  in  front  of 
his  imperial  master,  from  whom  he  never  once  moved  his 
eyes.  Another  scarcely  less  magnificent  caique  followed 
the  royal  barge  carrying  the  sultan's  pipe  bearer,  cup 
bearer  and  other  attendants.  As  his  majesty  stepped  on 
the  rich  carpets  of  the  palace  landing,  the  fifteen  three 
deckers  of  the  fleet  manned  yards,  and  each  fired  a  salute 
of  twenty-one  guns.  The  after  ceremony  was  pretty  much 
what  it  had  been  on  the  former  occasion,  only  the  American 
minister  presented  his  credentials,  through  his  dragoman, 
to  the  grand  vizier  himself,  and  had  the  privilege  of  con- 
versing with  his  majesty  on  matters  pertaining  to  the 
afiairs  of  the  two  nations,  although  it  was  seldom  or  never 
that  such  conversation  was  carried  on  except  through  the 
ministers. 

Abdul  Mejid  was  a  very  different  character  from  his 
father,  the  late  sultan,  never  indulging  in  familiar  inter- 
course with  any  one,  so  that  the  Commodore  missed  those 
pleasant  little  reunions  with  the  sultan  at  San  Stephano, 
where  he  could  make  himself  agreeable  by  suggesting  im- 
provements in  the  Turkish  navy. 

The  letter  of  credence  was  contained  in  a  richly  em- 
broidered bag  of  rose  colored  satin,  bound  with  white, 
studded  with  gold  stars,  and  closed  with  a  silken  cord. 
The  document  was  addressed,  "To  our  Great  and  Good 
Friend  the  Sultan  Abdul  Mejid  Khan,  Emperor  of  the 


416  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

Ottomans"  &c.,  &c.     On  the  delivery  of  the  letter  the  au- 
dience ended. 

During  his  residence  at  the  porte  the  Commodore  had 
learned  the  necessity  of  conforming  strictly  to  court 
etiquette,  which  alone  would  enable  a  man  to  steer  success- 
fully through  the  shoals  and  quicksands  of  diplomacy. 

A  year  after  his  return  from  the  United  States,  his 
health  became  still  more  impaired,  and  he  contracted  the 
painful  disease  called  angina  pectoris,  which  caused  a  great 
change  in  his  habits  and  disposition.  He  now  seldom 
went  to  Constantinople,  but  was  always  glad  to  see  his 
friends  at  San  Stephano. 

While  he  was  charge  d'  affaires,  he  received  a  visit 
from  Commodore  Patterson  and  family,  in  the  frigate 
United  States,  to  whom  he  extended  the  hospitalities 
of  his  house,  and  afforded  them  facilities  to  see  what- 
ever was  interesting  in  Constantinople.  Among  other 
things  the  ladies  of  the  family  gained  admission  to 
the  sultan's  seraglio,  a  favor  rarely  granted  to  any  foreigner. 
Commodore  Porter  enjoyed  the  visit  of  his  old  friend  of 
i^ew  Orleans  and  family,  and  often  said  that  it  had  added 
years  to  his  life. 

Later,  Commodore  Elliott,  in  the  Constitution,  with  Go- 
vernor Cass's  family  on  board,  visited  Constantinople;  but 
although  he  paid  Mr.  Cass  and  family  every  attention, 
Commodore  Porter  would  only  treat  Elliott  with  the  bare 
civility  which  was  required  by  his  position  as  charge 
d'affaires;  nor  would  he  accept  any  attention  from  him. 
Commodore  Elliott  was  obnoxious  to  him  on  several  ac- 
counts. He  had  been  a  member  of  the  court  martial 
which  drove  him  from  the  navy,  and  he  despised  Elliott  for 
his  course  in  the  duel  between  Decatur  and  Barron,  and  his 
subsequent  attempt  to  clear  himself  from  blame  in  that  trans- 
action. Elliott  was  Barron's  second  in  that  fatal  duel,  and  it 
was  believed  could  have  prevented  the  meeting  had  he 
thought  proper  to  have  tried  his  good  offices.  Commodore 
Porter  went  upon  the  ground  on  the  occasion,  as  a  mere 
looker  on,  or  in  the  hope  of  preventing  the  catastrophe 
which  occurred.  He  rode  out  on  horseback  and  just  after 
he  reached  the  spot,  the  shots  were  fired  which  stretched 
both  the  combatants  on  the  ground.     Elliott  had  come  on 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         417 

the  field  with  a  carriage  for  Commodore  Barroii  aud 
himself,  but  as  soon  as  Barron  and  Decatur  fell,  both  appa- 
rently mortally  wounded,  Elliott,  appalled  at  the  result, 
jumped  into  the  carriage  and  ordering  the  driver  to  hasten 
to  Washington,  made  off  as  fast  as  possible.  The  conse- 
quence was,  that  Commodore  Barron  was  left  weltering  in 
his  blood  on  the  wet  earth,  with  no  one  but  the  surgeon 
to  assist  him,  and  no  conveyance  to  take  him  from  the 
field.  Commodore  Porter's  feelings  would  have  led  him 
to  the  side  of  Decatur,  with  whom  he  sympathized  in  the 
matter  of  the  duel,  and  whose  opinions  in  regard  to  Bar- 
ron's course  in  absenting  himself  from  the  country  in  time 
of  war  he  fully  endorsed.  Barron  also  was  extremely  un- 
friendly towards  Captain  Porter,  who  had  been  one  of  the 
members  of  his  court  martial,  and  we  suppose  it  is  human 
nature,  not  to  like  a  man  who  has  sentenced  us  to  punish- 
ment. But  humanity  called  Captain  Porter  to  the  side  of 
the  man  whom  he  knew  to  be  his  enemy.  Decatur  was 
surrounded  by  friends,  but  Barron  had  no  one  w^ith  him 
until  Porter  raised  him  up  in  a  sitting  position.  Barron 
said,  "My  second.  Captain  Elliott,  has  gone  off  with  the 
carriage,  and  it  will  be  hours  before  I  can  be  moved." 

Captain  Porter  immediately  got  some  one  to  attend  to 
Barron,  and  mounting  his  horse,  pursued  Elliott  at  full 
speed,  and  finally  overtook  him,  about  a  mile  from  the 
field,  the  driver  having  dismounted  to  mend  a  broken 
trace.  As  he  rode  up  to  the  carriage,  Elliott  opened 
the  door  and  jumped  out,  asking  in  a  trembling  voice 
"  how  things  fared  on  the  ground."  "  They  fare  so 
badly,  sir,"  said  Captain  Porter,  "  that  you  left  your 
friend  weltering  in  his  blood  upon  the  bare  earth;  go 
back  and  do  what  you  can  to  lessen  the  mischief  you  have 
aided  in  committing ;  go  back  and  do  your  duty  to  your 
wounded  friend." 

Captain  Porter  then  rode  back  to  the  ground,  and  Elliott 
not  appearing,  a  carriage  was  procured  from  some  stran- 
gers passing,  and  Captain  Porter  got  in  and  helped  support 
the  w^ounded  man,  who  had  bled  profusely  and  was  very 
weak.  Proceeding  slowly  towards  Washington,  they  met 
Captain  Elliott  returning  towards  Bladensburg.  The  latter, 
53 


418  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

putting  liis  head  out  of  the  carriage  window,  made  some  in- 
quiry as  to  how  matters  stood.  Captain  Porter  immediately 
jumped  from  the  coach  in  which  he  w^as  riding,  and 
said  to  Elliott,  "  Your  place  is  here,  sir,  alongside  of  your 
wounded  friend,  I  insist  upon  your  getting  in,"  and  he 
almost  forced  him  into  the  carriage  where  Barron  was. 
Once  Elliott  ventured  a  remark  that  it  was  unfortunate 
that  Bainbridge  would  not  consent  to  an  accommodation, 
when  Barron  and  Decatur  entered  into  conversation  before 
firing;  but  Porter  did  not  reply,  feeling  too  much  con- 
tempt for  the  man  whom  he  saw  was  already  trimming 
his  sails  to  meet  the  coming  storm. 

When  Elliott  got  into  Barron's  carriage,  Capt.  Porter 
ordered  the  coachman  to  proceed  to  Washington,  he  rid- 
ing on  horseback  by  the  side  of  Decatur.  He  would 
never  allow  Elliott  to  speak  to  him  after  that,  although  the 
latter  endeavored  once  to  make  an  explanation  of  his  con- 
duct. The  fact  was,  Elliott  thought  both  parties  had 
been  killed,  and  appalled  at  the  consequences  of  the  duel, 
and  dreading  arrest  as  an  accessory,  he  took  flight  in 
the  manner  we  have  described. 

Next  day  the  newspapers  teemed  with  accounts  of  the 
affair,  and  an  attempt  was  made  to  fasten  the  blame  on 
Commodore  Bainbridge,  Decatur's  second,  who  it  was  re- 
ported had  said  it  was  too  late  for  compromise,  all  of  which 
was  traced  to  Capt.  Elliott.  These  facts  are  obtained  from 
letters  written  by  Captain  Porter  at  the  time,  and  not  from 
rumor  or  tradition. 

The  following  letter  is  interesting,  in  connection  with 
the  event  which  deprived  the  country  of  one  of  its  most 
gallant  officers,  who  fell  a  victim  to  a  custom  unworthy  of 
the  age.  The  letter  will  serve  to  throw  some  light  upon 
that  unhappy  event. 

Washington,  April  2d,  1820. 

My  Dear  Hambleton :  Tell  the  Commodore  (Bainbridge),  I  re- 
ceived his  letter  for  which  I  thank  him.  I  have  handed  it  over  to 
Commodore  Rodgers,  who  has  given  the  statement  to  Tazewell.  It 
gives  the  lie  completely  to  some  of  the  reports  that  have  been  put 
afloat.  There  are  some  that  go  to  criminate  Bainbridge  for  oppos- 
ing or  rather  for  discountenancing  a  reconciliation.  The  Commo- 
dore's recollections  of  Barron's  expressions  agree  with  mine. 
Barron  has  apologized  to  Commodore  Bainbridge. 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  419 

I  have  heard  from  several,  that  Elliott  has  said,  that  he  considered 
Bainbridge  did  not  encourage  a  reconciliation,  when  the  conversa- 
tion took  place  between  Decatur  and  Barron  before  firing,  and  he 
mentioned  the  same  thing  to  me.  Some  have  it  that  Commodore 
Bainbridge  said,  "it  is  too-late  for  accommodation,  to  your  stands 
gentlemen  ! ! ! "  Others  say  that  we  were  all  against  Barron,  that  we 
were  impatient  of  his  rank  ! ! 

It  cannot  be  doubted  that  every  effort  has  been  made  to  turn 
public  opinion  against  Decatur  (and  those  friendly  to  him),  and  in 
favor  of  Barron.  Every  newspaper  that  will  publish,  contains  a  puff 
of  some  kind  in  favor  of  Barron  and  against  Decatur.  The  Hagers- 
town  Torch  Light  contains  a  long  account  of  the  matter,  giving  a 
coloring  to  things  highly  prejudicial  to  Decatur  and  his  friends. 
You  need  not  be  at  a  loss  to  know  where  it  comes  from.  Every  sly 
art  that  can  be  practiced,  and  some  are  very  sly  (thinking  like 
Elliott,  if  they  stick  their  heads  in  a  bush  they  cannot  be  seen),  is 
put  in  operation  to  prejudice  the  public  mind.  The  friends  of 
Decatur  scorn  to  do  such  things.  The  correspondence  will  be  pub- 
lished, and  the  character  of  one  man  in  particular  (Elliott),  be  ex- 
hibited in  its  proper  colors. 

Mr.  Tazewell  is  here,  and,  if  I  mistake  not,  has  an  abundance  of 
material  to  enable  him  to  write  a  highly  interesting  biographical 
sketch. 

I  think  Elliott's  retreat  from  the  battle  of  Bladensburg  would 
make  an  admirable  frontispiece.  You  do  not,  however,  know  all  the 
particulars  of  this  affair,  let  it  suffice  that  he  fled  from  the  field, 
taking  with  him  the  only  means  of  conveyance  for  his  wounded 
friend  ;  that  he  left  him  for  one  hour  in  a  helpless  state  on  the  wet 
ground,  and  that  Barron  was  at  length  beholden  to  strangers  for  the 
means  of  getting  from  the  place.  Self,  self,  was  Elliott's  only  con- 
sideration. 

Tell  Bainbridge  not  to  give  himself  any  uneasiness  about  these 
matters.     There  are  enough  here  to  put  things  to  rights. 

Justice  is  slow  but  sure.  Grod  bless  you. 

D.  Porter. 
Samuel  Hambleton  Esq., 

Purser  U.  S.  Navy. 

It  was  owing  to  the  circumstances  detailed  above,  that  , 
Commodore  Porter  was  indisposed  to  pay  or  receive  any 
attention  from  Commodore  Elliott.  On  his  last  visit  to  the 
United  States,  he  was  one  day  at  Barnum's  Hotel,  Balti- 
more, where  a  number  of  persons  pressed  around  him, 
seeking  an  introduction.     Among  the  rest  Commodore 


420  Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

Porter  noticed  Elliott  approaching,  but  he  gave  the  latter 
such  a  look  that  he  walked  away  in  confusion.  'Not  want- 
ing Commodore  Elliott's  acquaintance,  the  American 
minister  notified  him  of  the  fact  in  writing,  which  was 
answered  by  Elliott.  The  correspondence  was  published 
at  the  time,  but  is  scarcely  worth  insertion  here,  as  it  is 
likely  to  interest  but  few  people  at  this  late  day.  It  might 
seem  that  the  Commodore  was  rather  vindictive,  to  treas- 
ure up  old  grievances  in  the  decline  of  life,  but  his  actions 
were  governed  by  his  sense  of  honor,  which  forbade  him  to 
hold  intercourse  with  men  whose  conduct  would  not  bear 
close  scrutiny. 

In  the  year  1842,  his  brother-in-law,  Dr.  Heap,  and 
family  were  again  his  guests,  and  he  took  great  pleasure 
in  the  society  of  his  relatives,  and  in  making  excursions 
with  them  by  land  and  water,  to  show  them  everything  of 
interest.  About  this  time  he  compiled  an  excellent  guide- 
book for  the  use  of  Americans  visiting  Constantinople, 
which  saved  travelers  a  great  deal  of  trouble  in  their  ex- 
cursions in  and  around  the  city.  He  had  before  this,  em- 
ployed his  time  in  writing  familiar  letters  to  his  friend 
James  K.  Paulding,  giving  a  graphic  description  of  the 
countrj^,  and  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  people, 
which  was  afterwards  published  by  Mr.  Paulding  in  book 
form.  The  book  was  esteemed  a  pleasant  and  readable 
work,  and  the  proceeds  of  its  sale  were  devoted  by  the 
Commodore  to  the  education  of  his  eldest  daughter. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1842,  the  disease  angina 
pectoris,  to  which  we  have  before  alluded,  had  made  such 
inroads  upon  the  Commodore's  constitution,  that  he  be- 
came very  feebl6,  and  was  fully  aware  that  he  must  pre- 
pare for  his  last  journey,  which  he  set  about  doing  as 
calmly  as  if  he  were  going  on  an  ordinary  tour.  He  had 
never  been  w^hat  is  called  a  religious  man,  in  the  common 
acceptation  of  the  term,  but  he  was  honest  and  conscien- 
tious, had  never  defrauded  or  deceived  anybody,  and  had  all 
his  life  been  guided  by  the  highest  principles  of  honor. 
His  eldest  daughter  having  married,  had  gone  to  Constan- 
tinople to  be  with  him,  and  he  had  two  sisters  and  this 
favorite  child  to  attend  him  in  his  last  illness,  and  their 
attentions   were  unremitting.      He    had    also   with   him 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         421 

several  nephews  and  nieces,  and  was  in  fact  surrounded 
by  a  large  family,  all  of  whom  did  everything  in  their 
power  to  relieve  his  sufferings. 

He  was  attended  by  an  English  physician,  Dr.  Milligan, 
one  of  the  sultan's  medical  attendants,  and  the  same  who 
attended  Lord  Byron  at  the  time  of  his  death,  and  also  by 
Dr.  Hematiades,  a  Greek  protege  of  Madame  Sigourney, 
who  had  been  educated  in  Paris. 

The  Commodore's  life,  during  the  last  two  years,  had 
been  much  embittered  by  bodily  and  some  mental  suffer- 
ing, and  towards  the  last  he  endured  the  most  excruciat- 
ing agony,  but  he  bore  it  with  Christian  fortitude.  When 
be  could  no  longer  read  it  himself,  he  had  the  sacred  book 
read  to  him  by  friends,  and  other  religious  reading  was 
selected  for  him  adapted  to  the  state  of  his  mind.  Prayers 
for  his  relief  were  continually  offered  up,  and  one  or  more 
of  his  missionary  friends*  were  always  with  him  night  and 
day.  He  had  been  too  kind  and  self  sacrificing  to  these 
people  to  allow  them  to  neglect  him  at  such  a  moment. 

Suffering  and  emaciated  as  he  was,  his  hold  upon  life 
was  very  strong.  It  was  a  hard  struggle  indeed  for 
him  to  resign  his  existence,  when  he  had  reached  that 
earthly  haven  of  peace  and  happiness  which  he  had  so 
longed  for,  and  when  surrounded  by  those  he  loved,  but 
he  resigned  himself  to  his  fate  and  met  it  calmly  as  a 
sailor  should. 

He  was  aware  that  the  missionary  community  con- 
sidered him  a  sinner,  but  he  had  an  abiding  faith  in 
the  justice  and  mercy  of  God,  through  His  Son  Jesus, 
by  whose  righteousness  he  hoped  for  salvation.  He 
threw  himself  at  the  Saviour's  feet  with  the  conviction 
that  he  would  meet  his  Redeemer  in  heaven,  never  more 
to  be  troubled  by  the  mortifications  and  disappointments 
he  had  experienced  on  earth. 

On  the  3d  of  March,  1843,  the  Commodore  lost  conscious- 
ness, surrounded  by  his  weeping  friends  who  were  about 
to  lose  a  kind  father,  brother  and  relation,  and  amid  their 
prayers  and  supplications  to  Heaven  the  spirit  of  the 
brave  man  was  restored  to  his  maker. 

"  And  he  died,"  Genesis  5,  27.  This  was  the  text  of 
the  funeral  sermon  preached  by  the   Reverend  William 


422         Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

Goodall,  March  13,  1843,  on  which  clay  the  mortal  re- 
maius  of  Commodore  Porter  were  interred  at  the  foot  of 
the  flag-staff,  in  his  garden  at  San  Stephano.  The  funeral 
was  attended  by  the  entire  diplomatic  corps,  the  ministers 
of  the  porte,  all  the  missionaries,  the  relatives  and  per- 
sonal friends,  and  a  large  concourse  of  people  of  all  nation- 
alities, for  he  was  universally  esteemed  for  his  generous 
spirit  and  benevolence. 

The  United  States  government,  on  learning  of  the 
decease  of  their  minister,  ordered  the  brig  Truxton  to 
bring  the  remains  to  this  country,  where  they  could  re- 
pose in  his  native  earth.  This  was  Commodore  Porter's 
last  wish,  and  he  was  happy  in  the  belief  that  the  govern- 
ment would  pay  that  mark  of  respect  to  one  whose  whole 
ambition  had  been  to  serve  his  country. 

In  the  fall  of  1843,  the  Truxton,  under  command  of  Cap- 
tain Upshur,  arrived  in  Constantinople,  when  Mr.  John 
Porter  Brown,  the  first  dragoman,  who  had  succeeded  the 
minister  in  charge  of  the  American  legation  as  charge 
d'affaires,  chartered  the  steamer  Bangor,  and  proceeding  to 
San  Stephano,  removed  the  body  with  all  due  ceremony 
to  the  Sublime  Porte.  From  thence  it  w^as  transported 
to  the  Truxton.  On  this  second  occasion,  the  Turkish 
authorities  all  turned  out  to  do  honor  to  the  memory 
of  the  deceased,  as  did  the  diplomatic  corps,  the  mis- 
sionaries, the  different  nationalities  and  the  relatives  and 
friends.  The  body  was  escorted  by  the  officers,  seamen 
and  marines  of  the  Truxton  and  deposited  on  board,  the 
vessel  firing  minute  guns  during  the  ceremonies. 

^o  man  in  the  Commodore's  position,  ever  received  more 
honor  while  living  or  after  his  death.  He  had  resided 
fourteen  years  at  Constantinople,  representing  the  United 
States  government  to  their  entire  satisfaction,  and  during 
all  that  time  he  never  had  an  unpleasant  word  with  the 
Turkish  authorities,  and  died  without  a  reproach  upon  his 
name.  If  he  had  faults  they  were  forgotten  in  the 
remembrance  of  the  many  noble  qualities  which  adorned 
his  character,  and  his  name  will  ever  stand  high  on  the 
list  of  modern  naval  heroes. 

The  Truxton  reached  Philadelphia  in  December,  1844, 
and  the  navy  department  gave  directions  that  the  remains 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         423 

of  Commodore  Porter  should  be  interred  with  the  honors 
due  to  his  rank  and  services.  The  following  order  of 
Commodore  George  C.  Kead  will  explain  the  arrange- 
ment of  ceremonies. 

NAVAL  ORDER. 

The  Honorable  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  having  caused  the 
remains  of  the  late  Commodore  Porter  to  be  brought  from  Constan- 
tinople to  this  city,  and  directed  me  to  have  them  interred  with  the 
appropriate  honors  due  to  that  gallant  and  distinguished  officer ; 
the  officers  of  the  navy  and  marine  corps,  on  the  station,  are  hereby 
notified  of  the  same,  and  are  expected  to  attend  in  full  dress  uni- 
form, with  the  usual  badge  of  mourning  on  the  left  arm  and  hilt  of 
the  sword. 

The  funeral  procession  will  move  from  the  navy  yard  on 

the instant,  at —  o'clock,  and  proceed  up  Front  street  to  South, 

up  South  to  Third,  up  Third  to  Spruce,  up  Spruce  to  Fourth,  up 
Fourth  to  Chestnut,  up  Chestnut  to  Tenth,  and  up  Tenth  to  St. 
Stephen's  church. 

The  public  authorities,  the  officers  of  the  army,  and  of  the  1st 
division  Pennsylvania  militia,  foreign  ministers  and  consuls,  the 
reverend  clergy,  the  personal  friends  of  the  deceased,  and  the  citi- 
zens generally  are  invited  to  attend. 

GrEORGE  0.  ReAD. 
Commandant's  Office,  U.  S.  Navy  Yard, 

Philadelphia,  January,  1844. 

ORDER  OF  THE  PROCESSION. 

Military  Escort. 

Clergy. 

Seamen  as  Carriers. 


Pall  Bearer.  /       I  Pall  Bearer, 


I      do.       do.  /  \  do.      do.  i^ 

^  (      )  ^ 

do.        do.  \  /  do.       do. 


Seamen  as  Carriers. 

Broad  Pendant. 

Mourners. 


424        Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

United  States  Naval  Pensioners. 

United  States  Seamen. 

Warrant  Ofl&cers  and  Assistant  Engineers. 

Midshipmen. 

Masters  and  Passed  Midshipmen. 

Medical  Officers  and  Pursers. 

Lieutenants  of  the  Army  and  Marine  Corps. 

Captains  of  the  Army  and  Lieutenants  of  the  Navy. 

Majors  of  the  Army  and  Marine  Corps  and  Commanders  of  the  Navy. 

Colonels  of  the  Army  and  Captains  of  the  Navy. 

Adjutant  G-eneral  of  Pa.  and  Staff  of  the  Governor. 

Officers  of  the  1st  Division  Pa.  Militia. 

Foreign  Diplomatic  Officers. 

Mayor,  Recorder  and  Aldermen  of  the  City  of  Philadelphia. 

Select  and  Common  Councils. 

U.  S.  Marshal  and  High  Sheriff  of  the  City  and  County  of  Phila. 

Judges  of  the  U.  S.  and  State  Courts. 

Attorney  General  of  the  State  and  Dist.  Attorney  of  the 

United  States. 

Members  of  the  Bar. 

Medical  Faculty. 

Society  of  Cincinnati. 

Society  of  Sea  Captains. 

Mayor  of  the  Northern  Liberties  and  Aldermen  of  the  County. 

Commissioners  of  the  N.  Liberties,  Spring  Garden.  Kensington, 

Southwark  and  Moyamensing. 

Collector  and  Officers  of  the  Customs. 

Professors  and  Students  of  Universities  and  Colleges. 

Seamen  of  the  Merchant  Service. 

Wardens  of  the  Port  of  Philadelphia. 

Captains  of  the  Merchant  Service. 

Societies. 

Citizens. 

After  the  march  through  the  city,  the  body  was  de- 
posited in  a  vault  in  St.  Stephen's  church  in  10th  street, 
between  Chestnut  and  Filbert.  The  late  Dr.  Ducachet, 
the  rector  of  St.  Stephens,  and  an  old  friend  of  the  family, 
conducted  the  ceremonies.  The  remains  were  subsequently 
interred  at  the  foot  of  the  flag  staff  at  the  ISTaval  Asylum, 
Philadelphia,  and  later  were  buried  under  a  handsome 
marble  monument  in   the  beautiful   cemetery  of  Wood- 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.  425 

lands  in  West  Philadelphia,  with  the  following  inscrip- 
tion on  the  panels : 

Commodore  David  Porter 

•  One  of  the  Most  Heroic  Sons  of 

Pennsylvania 

Having  long  represented  his  Country 

with  Fidelity 

As  Minister  Resident  at 

Constantinople 

Died  at  that  City 

In  the  Patriotic  Discharge  of  his  Duty, 

March  3d,  1843. 

His  Early  Youth  In  the  War  of 

Was  Conspicuous  for  Skill  and  1813 

Gallantry  His  Merits  were  Exhibited 

In  the  Naval  Service  of  Not  merely  as  an 

The  United  States  Intrepid  Commander 

When  the  American  Arms  But  in  Exploring  New  Fields  of 

Were  Exercised  with  Romantic  Success  and  Glory 

Chivalry  A  Career  of  Brilliant  Good  Fortune 

Before  the  Battlements  of  AVas  Crowned  by  an 

Tripoli.  Engagement 

He  was  on  all  occasions  Against  Superior  Force  and 

Among  the  Bravest  of  the  Brave  Fearful  Advantages 

Zealous  in  the  Performance  of  Which  History  Records 

Every  Duty  As  an  Event 

Ardent  and  Resolute  Among  the  Most  Remarkable 

In  the  Trying  Hour  of  Calamity  in 

Composed  and  Steady  Naval  Warfare. 
In  the  Blaze  of 
Victory. 

In  the  large  lot  surrounding  the  monument  He  buried 
his  wife,  two  daughters  and  two  of  his  sons,  and  the  remains 
of  his  other  chiklren  will  eventual!}'  be  interred  in  the 
same  place.  Of  the  Commodore's  ten  children  but  one  — 
the  author  of  this  memoir  —  is  now  living. 

Commodore  William  I).  Porter,  IT.  S.  'N.,  his  eldest  son, 
died  of  wounds  received  in  the  war  of  the  rebellion. 

Lieut.  Theodoric  Porter,  U.  S.  army,  was  the  first  officer 
killed  in  battle,  during  the  Mexican  war.  He  volunteered 
to  search  for  Colonel  Cross,  was  surrounded  by  the 
enemy  and  fell  covered  with  wounds  rather  than  surrender. 

Thomas  Porter  fell  a  victim  to  yellow  fever  while  a 
midshipman  in  the  Mexican  navy.  Hambleton  Porter 
54 


426  MexMoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter. 

died  of  the  same  disease  while  serving  as  passed  midship- 
man in  the  United  States  navj,  at  the  breaking  oat  of  the 
Mexican  war. 

Henry  0.  Porter  died  from  the  effects  of  wounds  and 
disabilities,  received  in  the  navy.  He  was  first  lieu- 
tenant of  the  Hatteras  when  she  was  sunk  by  the  Ala- 
bama. He  went  down  with  the  ship  and  was  afterwards 
picked  up  and  made  prisoner  b}^  the  enemy. 

It  will  appear  from  this  statement  that  Commodore 
Porter's  sons  did  their  duty  to  their  country,  and  lost 
their  lives  in  its  service.  Man  needs  no  other  eulogy 
than  this. 

The  reader  of  this  biography  must  judge  from  its  pages 
the  character  of  Commodore  Porter.  It  would  of  course  be 
impossible  for  the  writer  to  give  a  thoroughly  impartial 
opinion  with  regard  to  one  with  whom  he  was  so  closely 
identified.  His  conduct  in  war  and  in  peace  and  his  written 
communications  w^ill  be  the  best  guide  for  those  who  did 
not  know  him  personally.  From  this  it  will  appear  that 
he  was  a  very  decided  character,  outspoken  and  impul- 
sive, which  would  be  apt  at  times  to  involve  him  in 
difficulties,  but  that  character  was  founded  upon  truth, 
honesty,  courage,  and  conscientiousness,  four  qualities 
which  are  seldom  found  combined  in  one  person,  but 
which,  w^hen  they  do  exist,  will  carry  a  man  honorably 
through  the  checkered  scenes  of  life. 

Commodore  Porter  possessed  an  intelligent  mind  and 
an  ability  to  adapt  himself  to  any  profession  he  thought 
proper  to  follow.  Had  he  started  in  the  career  of  civil  life 
he  would  doubtless  have  attained  the  highest  honors. 

In  spite  of  the  defects  of  style  which  may  characterize 
one  who  is  not  a  professional  author,  the  writer  of  these 
pages  derives  great  satisfliction  in  giving  them  to  the 
public,  his  only  object  being  to  preserve  the  memory  of 
one  who  had  loved  his  flag  and  country  and  devoted  a  life 
time  to  their  service. 

No  brighter  flowers  or  greener  chaplets  should  deck  the 
graves  of  any  than  those  who  fought  in  the  war  of  1812, 
and  taught  the  ancient  mistress  of  the  seas  that  a  young 
Neptune  had  arisen  to  snatch  the  trident  from  her  hand. 


Memoir  of  Commodore  David  Porter.         427 

The  laurel  wreath  rests  but  upon  a  mound  of  earth,  it 
can  give  no  pleasure  to  the  spirit  that  once  animated  the 
dust  beneath  the  sod,  but  it  will  serve  to  keep  alive  the 
flame  of  patriotism,  and,  by  honoring  the  courage  of  the 
dead,  remind  the  living  that  they  also  will  be  remembered 
should  their  character  and  services  entitle  them  to  the 
applause  of  their  countrymen. 


FINIS. 


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